Referenda - The case for and against

REFERENDA: THE CASE FOR AND AGAINST John Stuart Mill defines 'pure' democracy as "...the government of the whole people by the whole people, exclusively represented" (ref. 1). Whether or not this is true of democratic political systems established today is debatable. However, it cannot be denied that there are certain forms of decision making practised in modern democratic states which suggest that the idea of government can be brought closer to the electorate. These are labelled …

…system. It would further act as a compliment to democracy by bringing the power closer to the people and restricting the government from passing unpopular laws. Word count: 2,489 Ref.1: "On Liberty and other essays" ('Considerations on Representative Government') - John Stuart Mill Ref.2: M.Hilty, National Councillor and Professor of Law, University of Berne (The Referendum in Switzerland, Simon Deploige) Ref.3: Antony Batchelor, 'Referendums and Initiatives' Politics Review Vol. No.3 (Success in Politics, Neil McNaughton)