cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/31296448
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiatives_and_referendums_in_the_United_States?wprov=srpw1_0
do you think there is a possibility for this ?
Believe it or not, the US has no mechanism for a national election. While the Federal Government sets guidelines for elections, each state runs its own. Every election is on the state level. Even the Presidential Election, thanks to the Electoral College, is really just a weighted sum of the outcome of 50 state elections (and DC).
Even Constitutional Amendments go through a state-by-state ratification process.
I think it’s impossible to do any sort of true nationwide referendum without a Constitutional Amendment happening first. Remember that the Constitution explicitly states that any powers not explicitly given to the Federal Government are reserved for the States (and the People). So the power to have Federal referendums would need to be explicitly granted.
I kinda disagree. The biggest problem here is that there are far too many special interests that would submit shit nobody else agrees with, but might get passed because nobody has the time to keep up on all the potential things and look into what they actually mean.
Imagine if you will some evangelical group trying to ban apple pies because a bunch of their kids managed to get their hands on a copy of american pie. Give the referendum some bland name like “protecting our kids”… then lie about what’s in the bill.
Okay, it’s a silly premise, but imagine all the special interests groups suddenly crafting law, lying about what the laws would be, flooding the zone with their bullshit and seeing what sticks.
I agree that referendums require a well-informed public, exhaustive debate, and a good visibility for each opinion expressed.
Now, they have it in Switzerland without any major problem that I’m aware of, they still can eat apples. :)
It’s impossible for the average American to be that well informed.
Let’s do a little exercise. List the legal status of abortion in every state. Weed? Gas leaf blowers? Healthcare.
I can’t. I doubt there’s many who can.
Further, “Switzerland does it” is * not* a very good argument. On the practicality side of it, the US is far, far more comparable to the entire EU in population and land area than we are to any given member state.
In the US, it would become a tool for special interests to advance unpopular agendas by bypassing normal representation, relying on the inability of normal Americans to actually read everything.
This is why we have representatives in the first place.
I’m starting to think maybe Republicans are right and the entire idea of a federal government is flawed.
