Identify and define mechanisms for popular legitimation. Include an identification of the characteristic of decisions and range of actors involved. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the use of these mechanisms?
What will be an ideal response?
The referendum and initiative are mechanisms for popular legitimation. A referendum is a vote of the people on an issue put to them by the legislature or some other authoritative body. An initiative permits voters not only to vote on an issue put to them by government but also to place an issue on the ballot themselves. These methods are majoritarian and are performed by the masses. Advantages include the notion that these measures allow for direct democracy, giving people the ability to directly adopt policies agreed upon by the majority. This use of direct democracy reflects the importance of certain issues. They provide an avenue for popular expression and it gives real power to the voters. These measures also provide a mechanism for people to overcome the legitimation activities of government institutions. A concern regarding the use of popular legitimation is that voter turnout on referendums and initiatives is often low. This may lead to small numbers of relatively uninformed voters deciding important issues. Also, money for publicity campaigns is significant in these elections, as others. More powerful and affluent interests may be able to influence these elections significantly. Further, complex issues are minimized and oversimplified into simple yes–no questions.
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