Democratic Delusions

It is becoming common in many states: the opportunity to reclaim government from politicians by simply signing a petition to put an initiative on the ballot and then voting for it. Isn't this what America ought to be about? Proposition 13 in California's 1978 election paved the way; the past decade saw more than 450 such actions; now in many states direct legislation dominates the political agenda and defines political—and public-opinion. While this may appear to be democracy in action, Richard Ellis warns us that the initiative process may be putting democracy at risk. In Democratic Delusions he offers a critical analysis of the statewide initiative process in the United States, challenging readers to look beyond populist rhetoric and face political reality. Through engaging prose and illuminating (and often amusing) anecdotes, Ellis shows readers the "dark side" of direct democracy—specifically the undemocratic consequences that result from relying too heavily on the initiative process. He provides historic context to the development of initiatives-from their Populist and Progress roots to their accelerated use in recent decades-and shows the differences between initiative processes in the states that use them. Most important, while acknowledging the positive contribution of initiatives, Ellis shows that there are reasons to use them carefully and sparingly: ill-considered initiatives can subvert normal legislative checks and balances, undermine the deliberative process, and even threaten the rights of minority groups through state-sanctioned measures. Today's initiative process, Ellis warns, is dominated not by ordinary citizens but by politicians, perennial activists, wealthy interests, and well-oiled machines. Deliberately misleading language on the ballot confuses voters and influences election results. And because many initiatives are challenged in the courts, these ostensibly democratic procedures have now put legislation in the hands of the judiciary. Throughout his book he cites examples drawn from states in which initiatives are used intensively—Oregon, California, Colorado, Washington, and Arizona-as well as others in which their use has increased in recent years. Undoing mistakes enacted by initiative can be more difficult than correcting errors of legislatures. As voters prepare to consider the host of initiatives that will be offered in the 2002 elections, this book can help put those efforts in a clearer light. Democratic Delusions urges moderation, attempting to teach citizens to be at least as skeptical of the initiative process as they are of the legislative process—and to appreciate the enduring value of the representative institutions they seek to circumvent.

A powerful argument against socialism and two delusions associated with democratic governance: the delusions of proportional representation and the initiative, referendum, and recall. The author provides a clear-eyed analysis of the flaws of these systems and offers provocative ideas for alternatives that prioritize individual freedom and responsibility. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from Instead of Socialism: And Papers on Two Democratic Delusions Just as 'Christians, ' in all ages, have confused Christianity with what is not the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, so have Socialists confused Socialism with what is not Socialism. In the following papers I have avoided attributing to Socialists sentiments which are no more peculiar to them than to many of their opponents. It is no argument to talk of Brotherhood and Altruism as characteristic of Socialism. It is likewise no argument to assert, as many Socialists do, that Socialism is synonymous with Christianity. Socialists may, or may not, be brotherly and altruistic. They may, or may not, believe Christianity to be synonymous with Socialism. But all this does not define Socialism for us. It is as illogical to credit Socialism with the intentions and beliefs of some Socialists as to credit the Roman Church with the virtues of some of its saints. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

A free media is inextricably linked to a healthy democracy, but in many parts of the world liberal democracies are deemed to be dying or on the demise – a demise that many forms of media have enabled while heralding themselves as democracy’s saviour. The hollowing out of democracy in these ways has left many people questioning the value of (neo)liberal democratic societies. What can we do about it? Democratic Delusions explores the potential of our media and tech systems to be democratic and contribute to a just and transformative democracy. This is only possible, Natalie Fenton argues, by first situating our political systems and mediated worlds within global capitalism. By interrogating different media and their relationship to seven key elements of democracy – power, participation, freedom, equality, public good, trust, and hope – the book asks: What is the response of society when the ability of news media to speak truth to power has been restricted by corporate logic? And, how do we tackle a deep-rooted market logic that shifts public debate towards private interest and marginalizes progressive perspectives? The book explores how these elements can be reimagined through newly conceived media and tech landscapes and, ultimately, what democracy might be in a future mediated world that places more power in the hands of more people. This is essential reading for students and scholars of media and communications, journalism, political communications, political science, and sociology.

Throughout his major works, Leo Tolstoy argues that the central problem of the modern world is its delusional character. We have become delusional about the utility of science, the effects of music, the nature of love and the divine, and the inescapable reality of death. A Prophet of Modern Delusions: Tolstoy’s Critique of Modernity explores Tolstoy’s arguments regarding these delusions. In so doing, it illustrates the continuing relevance of Tolstoy’s writings to those who desire to understand the complexities of modernity and who wish to be roused from deeply entrenched ways of thinking that may be delusional.

DEMOCRACY IS FAILING The driving force behind most government has become the attainment and retention of office. Thus dependency on vested interests to keep them there means politicians have forgotten who really they serve. WHO WILL REMIND THEM? THE GAP IS WIDENING The gap between 'rich' and 'poor' is widening. This proves democracy is failing. All because our 'progressive' and overly complex taxation system encourages behaviour that plunders the economy and actively undermines its long-term viability. WHO WILL STOP THE PLUNDER? POLICY IS PERVERTED Government policy-making is limited, irrational and rarely for the benefit of the people government is supposed to serve. Lobbying, party politics, grasping for office, ideological rigidity and opinion polls have all perverted government's role and its power. WHO WILL CORRECT THIS? SOMEBODY SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! In this ground-breaking book, Bay Jordan has decided to be that "somebody" and encourages you to be that "somebody" too. The Democracy Delusion sets out four simple ideas to restore true democracy and undo the harm done by conventional wisdom. Bay invites you to take ownership of these ideas, help them spread and make a positive difference. The Democracy Delusion is a passionate manifesto for peaceful, practical and powerful social change. RESTORING DEMOCRACY BEGINS WITH YOU! This fully revised second edition includes additional information on the threat of TTIP and a foreword by Lawrence Bloom.