Anybody For A Referendum?

[Theland]

Would we be better off legislating on the basis of referenda, similar to the Swiss way of doing business?

[Octavius]

I think if Referendums were important enough at a personal level and could be enacted immediately, then I am sure that many people would be up for a bit of voting. However, with the level of voter apathy demonstrated over the past years � at potential government changing elections - there may well be a reticence by the majority to bother turning up.

[jake-the-peg]

The cost of a referndum on the EU constitution in the UK was estimated at �80 million

How many did you have in mind?

[Llamatron]

Can you trust the public to make good balanced decision after carefully weighing up the facts?

The voters would need to have a thorough understanding of the issues involved and to then make a proper balanced judgment. And not just vote based on what their mate told them in the pub.

Politicians have trouble making decisions let alone the right ones but they are better placed to make informed choices than many of us.

I think only big, country changing decisions that have been thoroughly debated and argued by all sides in public should go to a referendum.

[Octavius]

Llamatron, isn�t that the point if a democracy, that grown up people make grown up decisions and live and abide by them/face the consequences?

If you assume we cannot be trusted to make carefully balanced decisions on say a referendum, then what hope do we have at General Elections?

[Llamatron]

In a general election you're voting for someone else to make the decisions for you. Someone that, if their campaign can be trusted, has similar ideas and values to yourself.

[Octavius]

But usually as you said in your previous post, aren't we lead to make such decisions based on the animated views of our mate Kevin down the pub, or the paper we read and programmes we watch?

Yes there are issues surrounding the use of referendums (cost, practicalities etc) but how many of us truly know what decisions our representatives are making for us? I am not as convinced as you seem to be that we are such an enlightened politically and socially adept nation (broadly speaking of course).

This is evident by the number of people who are more willing to vote on who should win a tv celebrity contest than who is running our country and making big decisions for us!

[Llamatron]

Ah yes, and how many of these Big Brother voting chavs do you reckon fully understand the consequences of, say, a single currency?
I certainly don't but I would hope that those in power do.

[Octavius]

Enough to sway the outcome of a general election.

[heathfield]

If you think people know what's best for themselves, then look to the USA. They re-elected George Bush!!!

[kempie]

To be fair to the US electorate, it is not the case that their votes in a general election actually elect the president; polling results indicate in numeric terms how many people voted for each candidate but only that.

The election of a president is determined by the Electoral College, though their votes tend to follow the popularity of the voters.

[flip-flop]

�80m for a referendum on the EU Constitution would be money well spent.

[Theland]

What happened to government for the people, by the people? There's some arrogance in some replies the defies the idea of paying taxes and having a say on how they're spent.

If Switzerland can do it ....?