3 ms·

I don't see what's so beneficial about direct democracy. Sure, it whets our 21st century egalitarian appetite. However, while populist sentiment is sometimes co

I don't see what's so beneficial about direct democracy. Sure, it whets our 21st century egalitarian appetite. However, while populist sentiment is sometimes correct and sometimes disastrous, it is never created by any sort of rational decision-making process. I have a hard time thinking of reasons why direct democracy is an optimal government structure.

biohacker42 18y ago
I have an easy time thinking of examples of why direct democracy is an optimal government structure. Switzerland. It has a long history of direct democracy, compare how it has been governed with how the other democracies have been governed. There's no need to get all abstract when there are real world examples.
- jacoblyles 18y ago
  It's also a federalist system with unique geography and a smaller population than New York City. Their example might not be portable. It's worth thinking of different alternatives, rather than generalizing from a sample size of one. Hong Kong and Singapore are also good examples of well-run states that are completely different. Hong Kong has the same population as Switzerland.
  - biohacker42 18y ago
    That's a good point, all of those places are tiny places. Still, I'd like to think that Switzerland can be scaled up. As well functioning as Singapore is, I don't want to see that scaled up.
zzzmarcus 18y ago
In any democracy, direct or representative, the majority has the power to take from the minority. If there's something the majority wants that the minority has, they can just vote it away from them. Conversely, if there's something the minority has, but wants to keep from the majority, again, they just vote to keep it from them. It's an inherently unequal, unsustainable and unfair system. I don't see how either form of it is optimal, ever.

3 ms·

I don't see what's so beneficial about direct democracy. Sure, it whets our 21st century egalitarian appetite. However, while populist sentiment is sometimes co

by jacoblyles 18y ago

biohacker42 18y ago
I have an easy time thinking of examples of why direct democracy is an optimal government structure. Switzerland. It has a long history of direct democracy, compare how it has been governed with how the other democracies have been governed. There's no need to get all abstract when there are real world examples.
- jacoblyles 18y ago
  It's also a federalist system with unique geography and a smaller population than New York City. Their example might not be portable. It's worth thinking of different alternatives, rather than generalizing from a sample size of one. Hong Kong and Singapore are also good examples of well-run states that are completely different. Hong Kong has the same population as Switzerland.
  - biohacker42 18y ago
    That's a good point, all of those places are tiny places. Still, I'd like to think that Switzerland can be scaled up. As well functioning as Singapore is, I don't want to see that scaled up.
zzzmarcus 18y ago
In any democracy, direct or representative, the majority has the power to take from the minority. If there's something the majority wants that the minority has, they can just vote it away from them. Conversely, if there's something the minority has, but wants to keep from the majority, again, they just vote to keep it from them. It's an inherently unequal, unsustainable and unfair system. I don't see how either form of it is optimal, ever.