Cynically? Because what they want to do rarely aligns with what people actually want. It’s far easier to just push through unpopular legislation and spin it retroactively than it is to run a full propaganda campaign ahead of a referendum and still risk losing.
Politicians only run referendums if they’re sure the outcome will be what they want, or if their hand is forced by the opposition.
Because what they want to do rarely aligns with what people actually want.
False consensus?
Politicians only run referendums if they’re sure the outcome will be what they want, or if their hand is forced by the opposition.
Ah. APAB .
Evolve your politicians better.
Can you be more specific? The US doesn’t have any mechanism for a national referendum on a specific issue. Usually when people use that term, they’re talking about mid-term elections (and reelection bids) being a “referendum” on a President’s total popularity.
I’m also curious as to what he’s referring to
Your link doesn’t mention Clinton at all, but starts with this:
Federal law does not allow national referendums in the United States where the general population gets to vote on an issue.
It happens at the State level regularly (in states where it’s used), but it’s not something a President can initiate.
Brexit. That’s why. Don’t trust a nation changing referendum to a country of mouth breathing tools that are more concerned about what Kim K. is wearing than what a policy means.
Agreed. Although with the caveat that, had there been more stringent regulations surrounding misinformation and manipulation in political and media discourse for the UK, Brexit would never have been able to occur. Leave got there (and only just) through a multitude of lies and emotional manipulation.
Direct democracy is the ideal end goal of any democratic system. But for it to work, people need to be educated, healthy, stable, and both interested and invested in the political process.
We’ve a lot of ground to cover between then and now.
No such thing as an american presidential referendum. What?
