Power to the People? Maybe.

It cannot be said definitively that initiatives and referendum are in all instances beneficial nor are they a drawback in all instnaces. Indeed, it is not a black and white issue. However, intiatives and referenda are beneficial generally speaking and in most cases

Indeed, these measures preserve democracy. Author and historian Joseph Ellis affirms that such a defining quality of our nation is critical to maintain, citing in Founding Brothers that the most successful governments of the world have been those that were democratic in nature, including ours. From its inception, the United States has sought to be the successful, democratic government that it is. In fact, "liberty" is described as an "unalienable right" in the Declaration of Independence and the document lauds the notion that "governments are instituted among men." These are ideals which we have embraced as a country since 1776 and should never disregard. Initiatives and referenda, by providing such freedom to the people in making political and policy decisions, assure that the United States willl never lose sight of these democratic principles. Furthermore, these measures help put an end, by putting decisions in the hands of the people, to the sometimes never-ending legislative bickering and stalling of proposals that is often cited as a negative aspect of democracy. Despite the beauty of American democracy, intiaitives and referenda sometimes do not make for the best outcomes though.

Clearly, there are instances when voters should not be given the opportunity of a referendum or initiative. Typically, a voter is solely concerned with his or her own interests on a major issue without realizing the greater state interest, even in a time of crisis or even regarding a policy that is simply too morally wrongheaded or dangerous to persist. If there were a national referendum on the Temporary Assisted Relief Program (TARP), it is likely that voters would reject the assistance to the banks. What would have resulted may have been, as Pres. Obama has said, a "second coming of the Great Depression" had it not been for TARP. Had there been a national referendum on Pres. Ford's extremely unpopular decision to pardon Pres. Nixon in 1974, there undoubtedly would have been a resounding "no" from Americans at the polls. If the public had its way, America would have had to endure even more of its "long national nightmare." On the state level, in California, in the spring of 2009, voters rejected tax increases which could have saved billions in the state's budget crisis. All of these hugely critical policy decisions may produce long-term benefits for the people at large yet would be rejected by voters simply due to personal interests.

Here's what is clear: when an economic crisis exists or a hugely consequential moral issue or a matter of maintaining unity such as slavery, secession, or pardoning Nixon is debated, referenda and initiatives should not be applied. However, on a multitude of less significant topics, such as affirmative action or same-sex marraige, intiatives and referenda should exist in order to replicate the "government of the people" that Pres. Lincoln described.

Initiative Question

Do you agree or disagree with the following: California, Colorado, and other states that use the initiative should abolish its use.