Use It or Lose It

Whether direct democracy might engender passion or apathy in the voter does not bear upon its moral legitimacy. The novelty of a new political system, and particularly the excitement of direct democracy's popular empowerment, would undoubtedly win new political enthusiasts. But the very opportunity to vote for new initiatives four times a year, which this system is designed to afford us--hardly less than what we require of Congress today--might well prove too much for many voters.

The question is: Do the rest of us forgo control of our political destinies and forsake our sounder values, all for the sake of sparing the apathetic the consequences for their self centered indifference?