In particular, in a number of cases a referendum can be seen as a tool of the political elite in order to create the illusion of public participation in government. Caution must also be taken concerning the frequency of referendums and the more frequent they are the less important they are to the public opinion. The idea is that referendums should only be utilized when the representatives cannot make a decision on behalf of their constituents and must ask their opinion. Civic values also play an important role in the effectiveness of referendums because poor civic values based on ignorance or prejudice may cause public opinion to pick the wrong choice. This is particularly addressed in the section on voter behavior and raises the question, do voters really know what is best for their state? Perhaps Aristotle’s idea that rule should be left to the best suited or professionals is better than direct democracy. The authors take a predominantly empirical approach to referendums and in general finds that referendums can be effective tools but often are at risk for abuse. Abuse of referendums can actually lead to democratic disengagement because the public can become weary or disillusioned with their
In particular, in a number of cases a referendum can be seen as a tool of the political elite in order to create the illusion of public participation in government. Caution must also be taken concerning the frequency of referendums and the more frequent they are the less important they are to the public opinion. The idea is that referendums should only be utilized when the representatives cannot make a decision on behalf of their constituents and must ask their opinion. Civic values also play an important role in the effectiveness of referendums because poor civic values based on ignorance or prejudice may cause public opinion to pick the wrong choice. This is particularly addressed in the section on voter behavior and raises the question, do voters really know what is best for their state? Perhaps Aristotle’s idea that rule should be left to the best suited or professionals is better than direct democracy. The authors take a predominantly empirical approach to referendums and in general finds that referendums can be effective tools but often are at risk for abuse. Abuse of referendums can actually lead to democratic disengagement because the public can become weary or disillusioned with their