Delay, Rumination, and Compromise in Government
Excerpt from “Why Knot?” Buy the book at Amazon
In the US, the process of making laws is long and complicated. It typically involves public hearings, committee meetings, open debate in the House and Senate, passage by both chambers, the signature of the President, and, in case of legal challenge, approval by federal courts, up to the Supreme Court.
If a piece of legislation is important to you, the issue seems clear, and the process feels broken. You want immediate action, and instead it takes months or years before anything happens, and the resultant law is often a compromise, rather than the measure that you were hoping for.
Originally, the electors who voted for president and vice president were selected by state legislatures, rather than directly by the citizenry. That was later modified so the selection of electors was determined by popular vote. Perhaps now legislation should also be approved by popular vote.
With the universal availability of the Internet and smart phones, it is possible to bypass representative government and, at least in some cases, substitute direct referendum, as a clearer reflection of the will of the people, as true democracy.
But referenda appeal to the emotional mob response of the uninformed public. And with referenda, only one specific version of a measure is presented for vote, without the opportunity for amendments or compromise. That process puts the true legislative power in the hands of those who write the specific words that the public votes on, which makes referenda a popular tool of dictators seeking to create the illusion of public support and democratic process.
While the Constitution was written in a different era when communication was slow and direct referenda were impossible, the principle of representative government is still important. Theoretically, the public elects individuals whose judgment they trust, and those representatives strive to understand complex issues and arrive at agreement with representatives from other regions and constituencies. The lengthy multi-staged process provides opportunities for all opinions to be expressed and weighed and for the wording to be fine-tuned many times. Delay forces rumination and compromise, which are essential for democracy.
