Putting more power in the hands of the people

One of the problems with our democracy is the lack of respect for the will of the people. Our elected officials ignore public opinion polls when voting on legislation, or refusing to take up issues the average person cares about. They act like they know better than we do what is best for us.  A new proposal in Wisconsin seeks to change that. It is a novel and interesting idea. It would give average citizens a greater voice in what becomes law in the state, and what doesn’t. Under the plan, the state constitution would be changed so that if enough people agree, a law passed by the state legislature could be vetoed by a vote by the people. Under current law, if we don’t like a law our politicians pass, we have no recourse other than to vote our elected officials out in the next election. This would change that. If Wisconsinites believe lawmakers are passing laws not in their best interest, people would have the power to say no. The proposal would also allow average citizens to introduce their own legislation by proposing new laws. Right now many bills supported by the public don’t get a vote, or even a public hearing. This would force lawmakers to take up the issues people care about. It is not clear if this proposal has a chance in Madison, but any idea that gives the public more of a voice in the democratic process is at least worthy of discussion.