ASU2003

Why aren't the big issues of the day put to the people to vote on? You know, the political suicide ones to support... raising social security age, lowering benefits, gay marriage, marijuana legalization, immigration, war funding, health insurance.

I would think that these should be part of the yearly IRS tax forms, and then it gets into the next question of, if you support something, would you be willing to fund it from your tax refund (or have to pay more)?

Something like this:
Keep social security at age 62 for early withdrawal, 65 for regular..............................pay $50
else age 64 for early withdrawal, 67 for regular..........................................................pay $0

Pay for prisons and police for small time marijuana prosecutions................................pay $100
allow people to grow a little.......................................................................................pay $0

Willravel

We're supposed to vote for the people who will represent what we want when it comes to federal matters. In theory, you vote for someone to represent your views and those views are put into the legislative process to be made into law. Try to find someone who isn't a massive tool or run yourself. If things don't change, I might run for office in a few years (which could be either wonderful or a disaster, amiright?).

We do get to vote on state issues, though.

Derwood

Correct, this is a Republic, not a Democracy.

In fact, I'll go so far as to say that I think there are too many referendum's on the local/state level. Why should senior citizens/single people get to vote down levies for my kids' education every year?

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"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel

ASU2003

Local issues (schools, police, fire, city services,...) wouldn't have to be done this way. However, the big issues (NASA budget, military budget, social security, alternative energy projects,...) that people would support. And I have never lived in a district where I was represented by anyone else than a republican. I have never had my representative share my views, and even if I moved to a democratic district, I doubt they would agree with me on some of the issues.

But, I think we are stuck in this country when it comes to big projects and big issues on political lines.

dogzilla

Because single people and senior citizens pay taxes too.

Derwood

Sure, but there are tons of other measures that pertain to seniors and singles that I DON'T get to vote on (because they are, appropriately, handled by the elected officials in the state legislature). I don't know why school levies fall under public vote

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"You can't shoot a country until it becomes a democracy." - Willravel

Seaver

Just look to California for reasons why we don't vote on single issues.

Tax Cuts and Benefit increases are the only things that pass, and so trying to levy taxes or decrease benefits (to balance the budget) are impossible to get done because the voters shoot it down.

Granted it's not working at the moment on the Federal Level, but it did just 14 years ago... we can do it again once the warrbagle ends in Washington.

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"Smite the rocks with the rod of knowledge, and fountains of unstinted wealth will gush forth." - Ashbel Smith as he laid the first cornerstone of the University of Texas

Rekna

Yeah populist rule sounds like a great idea.... We could have ballot issues like being Muslim is illegal and it would pass...

snowy

I think direct democracy at the national level would just devolve into a complete and total fuckfest. Direct democracy already has massive issues at the state and local level; I can only imagine how much those flaws would be enlarged and exploited were direct democracy to be introduced at the national level.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Tully Mars

Yep the US has become full of people who want it all and want it for free.

Money for nothing and the chicks for free...

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Jinn

The 'checks and balances' of the federal government are the only thing that keeps us marginally on the safe side of 'majority raping the minority every chance it gets'.

If we had federal referendums there would be nothing stopping the majority population(s) from legalizing and delegalizing anything it wanted. We need the sieve that is the POTUS/SCOTUS/Congress to protect us from ourselves, oddly enough.

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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

ASU2003

This isn't just voting, this is voting with your money. Do you want 'publicly' funded embryonic stem cell research for $50? (I trust government oversight more than 3rd party charities, which is sad) I'm not saying that other people should be forced into paying for it, yet, even if 70% of the population is against something, the 30% would be able to fund it at some level.

It is the PBS model, without the telethons. You basically get to choose what you support, and it would be used for controversial, or other issues that most politicians wouldn't touch.

flstf

Or maybe:

Keep Social Security------------------------pay $12,000
Disband Social Security---------------------pay $0

Cynthetiq

It isn't specifically enumerated in the US Constitution. It was left for the individual states to decide most matters. If you read carefully, you'll see that there's lots of leeway that has been taken, if not all out liberty or SCOTUS backed interpretation to allow the Federal to do what they do.

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seretogis

This sort of idea would be more useful if it was broken down on tax forms, like the amount of money you can currently contribute to an election fund.

E.g. deduct $200 from your refund if you want to fund the DEA to raid private homes for pot plants, or add $50 to your refund and allow small home grows.

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seretogis - sieg heil
perfect little dream the kind that hurts the most, forgot how it feels well almost
no one to blame always the same, open my eyes wake up in flames