Post by Administrator on Sept 1, 2012 11:31:11 GMT -5
The main difference between an initiative and a referendum is the role of the legislature. In an initiative process, the voters control every step from the wording of an idea to its passage into law: the legislature plays no role at all. A referendum, by contrast, is a measure proposed by a legislature and only referred to the voters for final approval.
The choice then is between voters who determine their own agenda and those who passively attend to the agenda of their legislature. By this light, does anyone believe that the referendum would prove useful in significant reforms to the legislature itself--or yet to the lobbying interests of its members?
The choice then is between voters who determine their own agenda and those who passively attend to the agenda of their legislature. By this light, does anyone believe that the referendum would prove useful in significant reforms to the legislature itself--or yet to the lobbying interests of its members?