Direct Democracy in California - Essay Example

Direct Democracy in California Direct democracy in California, U.S.A. Democracy is a term derived from twoGreek words; demos meaning people and kratos meaning power, to form demokratia. Therefore, democracy is the rule of the people. It is based on the majority rule whereby decisions are made through consensus. Indeed democracy is the rule of the people, by the people, for the people. It is said to have originated from the early city states of Greece, notably Athens around 508-507 B.C1. In this city state, people practiced direct democracy whereby there was direct allocation of responsibilities and roles to government and military offices. However, this democracy pushed some people out of the democratic fora. There are two main forms of democracy; direct and indirect democracy, although these are sometimes subdivided into other forms such as liberal democracy. This paper illustrates the introduction of the notion of direct democracy in California State, unfolding its success and failures. History of direct democracy Direct democracy began in Athens, Greece in the 5th century. Citizens could elect government officials directly without any links or mediators. Just like in contemporary societies, Athens had separation of powers among institutions like the assembly, the boule and law courts. However, this democracy excluded women, foreigners, males below 20 years of age as well as slaves, from the democratic process. This scenario has not changed much in the contemporary societies. In many countries, non-citizens are not allowed to vote for government officials. Direct democracy has been successful in countries such as Switzerland and it is now gaining prominence in the American states. It has not been embraced by many countries due to fear for revolutions and military coups. In direct democracy, people vote on policies directly without going through representatives. It also involves making decisions about laws and government officials directly without involving any intermediaries. The advocates of direct democracy assert that the people of California State are very intelligent and this intelligence can help them to choose wise leaders and make good decisions regarding policies. They also advocated for enactment of legislations that give people power to participate in direct democracy. These advocates suggest that the legislature should stop making laws and give people a chance to make the laws that affect them. They have presented these thoughts to the society through the print and electronic media, as well as mass campaigns for direct democracy in activities that involve people of California directly or indirectly. This has helped to create awareness about direct democracy among the masses. The advocates argued that the people are intelligent enough to act in a competent manner to remove corrupt officials from government offices. Following such arguments, there emerged new alignments in the legislature of California. It was now clear that transformations in many sectors were to occur. Some of the areas targeted for transformation through direct democracy were; elections, infrastructure and policies. Advocates of direct democracy such as Governor Hiram Johnson have made headlines of local newspapers and magazines from time to time since 1911, when he proposed a direct legislation measure for the people. This year, the voters of California are going to partake in this form of democracy. It is not new and therefore, there are no major possible threats or risks that will be involved in the process later this year. It is worth noting that this type of democracy is mainly exercised through referenda on issues such as constitutional amendments and review as well as policies. Prerequisites for direct democracy In order for direct democracy to work, several things must be considered2. The determinants of direct democracy range from demographic, political social, economic, education, ethnicity, political rights as well as political stability. Politics plays a substantial role in direct democracy. Some people refer to politics as a dirty game whereas others call it a game of wits. Whichever term is used to describe politics, its influence on direct democracy cannot be undermined. Political leaders inform people on policies and laws during their political campaigns. Opposition politicians will always want to argue against the government, and this largely influences the policies formulated by the government. If the opposition politicians manage to convince people against the government, then such government policies cannot be passed through direct democracy. High levels of literacy are a prerequisite to direct democracy. People who are learned embrace chnange easily, unlike illiterates. Illiterates portray difficulties in reading newspapers, magazines, government documents and other relevant documents on with information about policies. They posit ignorance and the inability to read in their routine tasks. Economic power also determines the success of direct democracy. People who are financially stable readily welcome change and will agree to direct democracy issues fast as compared to those with meager finances. The poor tend to look at the benefits they are given by advocates of direct democracy, instead of putting focus on the impact of policies implemented following direct democracy. Social services are also determinants of successful direct democracy. A government that upholds the rights of its people regarding basic social services like provision of safe drinking water and quality education as well as medical facilities, is popular among its citizens. Similarly, if the advocates of direct democracy are part of a good government, then people will agree to their promotion of the direct form of democracy. Moreover, ethnicity also determines the success of the direct form of democracy3. There are different ethnic groups in California. The Latinos are several in numbers, and they are the largest minority group in the state. Direct voting to implement policies on health and education is largely divided along racial lines of the Latinos, African Americans and Asians. Proposition 30 and 32 These two issues have been under scrutiny by voters this year, and particularly this November. California has used direct democracy in the past even when passing Proposition 10 in the 1990s to enhance quality and affordable childcare programs. Therefore, this is not a first time thing. Proposition 30 on Sales and Income Tax increase came up after merging the “Millionaire’s Tax” and Brown’s First Tax Increase Proposal. It is an initiative by Jerry Brown, a Governor, to increase taxes for the wealthy people in the states. The move is meant to improve education and public safety. It is meant to be a temporary measure to get the California state’s budget back on track. However, there are fears that the policy initiative may become permanent after implementation. It is also meant to settle the debts of the states bridge the gap between the rich and the poor through taxation, improve social services such as schooling through government assistance programs. Proposition 32 also known as the Paycheck Protection initiative (2012), is a government initiative concerned with corporate societies. If it had been passed it would have brought many changes in local and state contributions. The move to tax the citizens in California using higher tax rates is an idea whose time has come at the wrong time. At the moment the people of California are facing numerous challenges in the economic, social as well as environmental sectors. As a voter in California, one must consider the impact of these propositions. Initially, as a voter my initial reactions were that the propositions are good as they are giving voters a chance to exercise their democratic right. However, after a close look at the details of these propositions, I felt that they are unfair to voters as well as the citizens of California. If these policies were passed, then life for most of us in California would change drastically. Proposition 30 would mean; Less food on the table Unaffordable education Home care for children under five due to unaffordable childcare especially in Oxnard where most childcare centers are located Poor housing Mushrooming of slums Implementation of Proposition 32 would mean silencing the union members, and special exemptions of taxes for corporations. It has been unpopular among the California League of Women’s voters and other organizations in California4. However, the impact of this proposition would not be felt immensely on the citizens and people living in California, like Proposition 30. Proposition 30 is more popular among the poor and the middle income earners in California because they will not bear the biggest brunt of taxation like the high income earners. The notion of these propositions has been received with different reactions by the citizens of California. Some have supported them; others have rejected them in totality whereas others have not taken a stand regarding them. The graphs below show reactions of various people in California with regard to these propositions. Reactions to Proposition 30 Source: http://reason.com/blog/2012/10/19/california-props-30-and-32-too-clos-to-call Reactions to Proposition 32 Source: http://reason.com/blog/2012/10/19/california-props-30-and-32-too-clos-to-call The people of California put their focus on direction that the two propositions will lead them into, and not just elections and voting. Therefore, most of them endeavor to vote for propositions that guide them into the right direction. They wish to eradicate policies that are inherently based on mediocrity and replace them with good policies. They all endeavor to live better lives. It is the wish of several people no to have the proposition implemented. Many of the people living in California reject them and hope for better policies to solve political, economic, social and environmental problems that seem to be engrossed in every part of the society. Conclusion From the above discussions, it is clear that direct democracy is one way of demonstrating a person’s opinion and wish in the realm of leadership. It provides citizens with an array of opportunities for choosing leaders of their choice, as well as deciding on policies. It has worked in several countries, thus states should not be afraid of implementing it. This paper serves as an eye-opener to countries that are afraid of direct democracy, to embrace transformation and enhance this form of democracy. It also serves as a wakeup call other countries in the world, to stop hiding poor governance under the cocoons of representative democracy. Bibliography Butler, Laphonza. Yes on 30 & No on 32: Moving California Forward. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laphonza-butler/california-proposition-30-proposition-32_b_2073737.html. 2012. Frey, Bruno., Kucher, Marcel & Stutzer, Alois. Outcome, Process and Power in Direct Democracy: New Econometric Results. Public Choice, Springer, 107(3-4), (2001):102-136 Barro, Robert. Determinants of Democracy. Journal of Political Economy. 107(6), (1999): 158-183 Sinclair, Richard. Democracy and Participation in Athens. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Read More