Quote:
Originally Posted by Canuck-Hater
Well we could beat this PR topic to death but I only bring it up because I care about Democracy.
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I care about democracy too, but sometimes PR type people focus too much on what happens on election day and not enough time thinking about how that translates into how government works in the broad sense.
Read up on California. Basically what happens when things are 'too democratic.'
Summary:
California, participates a lot in 'direct democracy' through propositions. What's untimately happened is that over the course of decade California voters have tied the hands of the government to 80-90% of the state budget through mandatory propositions. They all in iscolation seem like wonderful things, but as a whole, they have plunged the state into the fiscal abysss, and the government cannot do anything about it because their hands are tied. Ultimately individuals don't know enough about the issues and how they relate to the big picture to be allowed to vote directly on binding legislation.
A PR system won't be as disaterous, but the same theme of one-issue parties holding the balance of power on different votes at different times can have a similar effect on legislation that gets passed. But I guess everyone can feel warm and fuzzy because they got to vote for a party that speaks more to them personally than an ideologically distilled party designed to represent a large component of the electorate in a two party system. Ultimatelty in a two party system, varrying viewpoints get decided at the party level and no extreme views come forward or butt heads to form legislation.
http://www.economist.com/node/185636...TOKEN=76827669