Do we live in a representative form of government?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : I-695 Thirty Dollar License Tab Initiative : One Thread

If so, why are we going to have to do the job of the people we elected? My understanding is that we as a people chose a representative form of government so that we would not have to be involved in the day to day decision making that is required to operate a government. If those we elect choose not to represent us in the manner we like, we have the power to elect someone else during the next election. And if we elected the person who is now not representing us in the manner we like, should we not try to make a more informed decision about the next person that we put in office?

For those of you screaming, "But I didn't vote for that idiot!" I have one thing to say, some of you must have or that person would not be in office today.

-- Robert Farmer (beaker97@msgto.com), November 02, 1999

Answers

"Do we live in a representative form of government?" Actually we do some things through our elected officials, other things we do directly, and it varies at the state and federal level. We elect governors directly, presidents through the electoral college. Looks like pretty soon we'll be approving or disapproving new taxes directly. About time, too.

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), November 02, 1999.

I'm glad this question has finally made the forum.

If those we elect do not do the will of 'we the people' we have legal ways to deal with it:

1) We can vote them out of office.

2) We can vote for an initiative like I-695 and others.

If 'we the people' don't like the initiative we can vote it down.

If 'we the people' like the initiative, we can vote it in.

Simple, legal, effective.

-- Webmaster (webmaster@lifetel.com), November 02, 1999.


For too long now too many idiots have been elected into office and they are NOT doing their jobs. We have to give control back to the voters, and make an example out of our current legislators that this taxation is unacceptable. Hopefully....it will promote future legislators to make wise decisions, and learn to budget our $$$

-- anonymous (newspapers2000@hotmail.com), November 03, 1999.

A government is representative only when it "represents" us. I said represent, not rob.

-- Jim Lohman (jlohman@lewis-ex.drms.dla.mil), November 03, 1999.

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