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The Atlantic Rift
Americans don’t like the word ’empire,’ but no empire in history has been equal to the United States in its ability ...
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The Fascinating Rhythm of George Gershwin
He was a child of the Jazz Age. The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, he grew up on the streets ...
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Direct Democracy or Mob Rule? main page
   
Direct Democracy or Mob Rule?
Aired 9/18/2003
America’s founding fathers conceived of this nation as a republic, that is,
governed by representatives and not directly by citizens, which they
sometimes referred to quaintly as "the mob." In recent decades there has
been an increase in direct democracy. Californians are now taking steps to
recall a governor. Nevada may soon follow suit. Between 1975 and 2000
voter initiatives on state ballots more than tripled from 279 to 929. Does
this kind of direct democracy - initiative, referendum and recall - undermine
leadership or keep representatives responsive to the will of the people?
Read the full transcript
Patrick Basham
Founding director of the Social Affairs Center at Canada’s Fraser Institute, and now senior fellow with the Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government
John Haskell
Senior fellow with the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University and author of "Direct Democracy or Representative
Government? Dispelling the Populist Myth"
Originally Aired: 9/18/2003
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Be sure to also check out:
Here are some previous Think Tank programs that may be of interest.
The Future of Freedom
aired 9/29/2005
Democracy Unleashed, Part Two
aired 6/16/2005
Democracy Unleashed, Part One
aired 6/9/2005
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