Right on! Finally, something that makes sense! It's time to streamline our government -- take back our power and this is a good start. Next is getting rid of the electoral college, redistricting the senate so its representational of the population, instituting a "no confidence" vote, and reforming campaign laws.

How about presenting a report card of all the Congressmen/Senators voting record. How they voted for the issue, who they ate lunch with before they voted, and why they came to the decision in their own words? We look at the issues and see exactly how that person stood in terms of representing their constituents. Give the voters a true picture of what their representative is doing in Washington. Also, there should be a 5 day work week. I wish I could work 3 days then jet home on someone else's dime.

This sounds like a nationwide version of the ballot initiative system. Here in California this system has been totally hijacked by privately funded shadow organizations. It was most recently used to recall Democrat and democratically re-elected Governor Gray Davis and replace him with Arnold. BEWARE!

No; better to have a parliament, with proportional representation. Keep 2 senators for each state, but cut the House of Representatives loose from a specific geographical location. Instead, let the representatives reflect the policies of their respective political parties. Since representation in the House would be proportional, there would be the opportunity to form new political parties. Eventually, no one party would have a majority; thus, every government would have to be a coalition government. Separating representatives from districts would tend to eliminate pork & encourage more objectivity in government. Also, the President could be recalled by a vote of no confidence, which certainly would be useful in the current situation.

I lived in Switzerland in the late 1990s, and watched the true democratic process work amazingly well. The national referendums got much more attention and voter turnout than we do here in the States, because people know they are directly involved in the final decision. Gravel's National Initiative is a terrific and timely proposal.

Michael called the shot in his post (July 30, 2007 2:55:01 PM) ... this is a terrible idea. It is silly to think the public can't be rushed into self-destruction. Just think back to the manipulation of the American people that preceded our invasion of Iraq. It is simply too easy to hoodwink the press and bamboozle the people. We don't need to propose and pass our own laws. We need to select good people to represent us in our government. The political parties have a stranglehold on our political process. As long as that continues they will nominate and elect corrupt trash to our public offices. These are the people who are destroying our nation. We need look no further than that. Fred

I somewhat like this idea, although I personally would be much more excited about a process that allows citizens to repeal bad laws through national initiatives than one that allows us to make new laws.

Good idea, but not good in practice. Good at the state level, but this current plan keeps the minorities with some power. Take abortion for example.

The results have been "sound"? In California, voters have gutted the funding for public education, passed an obviously flawed "three strikes" law, prohibited basic instruction in non-English languages...and so on. This proposal invites demagoguery, as romantic as it sounds.

This sounds good on its face. But what about things like gay marriage. If America (at least the America that votes) decided on this issue, they would outlaw it for good, just like African-American rights as pointed out in the article. And don't think voters wouldn't be fooled by special interests. The media would spin for one side (on behalf of the special interests) and sway the debate.

The system is California is utterly flawed the Nation Initiative does not include these flaws. Think of the media we could enact a law to reverse the dreadfull Telecom bill which brought us to where we are today. Please research this before casting doubt.

Pericles would be proud of this proposal. I wonder what he would have to say about W's administration. It's time to give the people more voice than the powerful corporations, their lobbists and the politicians dependent on their contributions. It's obvious neither Congress nor the executive branch have the political will to break their dependence on corporations.

I agree with the comments from the Californians. Up here in OR we have an initiative system which is a disaster. Special interest yahoos write incomprehensible, terrible laws and then out of state private funds are funneled in to a propaganda bonanza that sometimes manage to swindle the public in to voting radical ideas in to law. Sure -power to the people- I'm all for it, but initiatives are just not as pretty as they sound!

The author lists as an objection, " Are the people really qualified to make laws?" Perhaps a better and much more fair question would be, are congressional representatives qualified to vote? As Samuel Clemens is said to have remarked, when asked if women should have the right to vote: "Why not, they sure all hell couldn't any worse than the men have done."

A great idea! We've got to get power back to the people - maybe this is the best way to acomplish that goal.

California provides a good example of what initiatives cause: nearly every initiative that passes here is challenged in court by its opponents and the state spends millions of our tax dollars adjudicating the issue. There is no good evidence that citizens can write initiatives that will pass constitutional muster. Even constitutional law experts can't agree on what is constitutional. I envision a morass of initiatives and counter-initiatives and endless court challenges. I wish this would work because I'd like the opportunity to enact publicly funded elections, single payer national health care, sound environmental legislation, a fair tax code, the establishment of a "Peace" Department, as well as countless other initiatives. One of our biggest problems today is that very few congressional seats are seriously contested because the state legislatures have engineered "safe districts" for themselves. I suspect we could affect real change if every state legislature turned over reapportionment to independent non-partisan commissions with a mandate to redraw congressional districts without regard for who currently represents an area. Let's work on that!

In CA, we have had the Initiative process for many years. It works in some way and in others it doesn't. The people pass laws that they want, and in most cases, what the people says, goes. In other cases, either the feds, the courts or the state lawmakers say we can't. One that comes to mind, is the Medical Marijuana act. The citizens voted it in, the state lawmakers and courts said it was a goo thing, and then the Feds said, you can't do that. Well, in this case we ignored them (the feds).

MOre than ever this non profit philosophy is forefront. Reason being is that the current administration has created such a distance between themselves and the people it impresses that our government is without remorse for the general population. We the people have no representation .. only a mirage... The voter is at fault for not voting properly

It would be enlightening to hear arguments from a congress that refuses to legislate the will of the people on why the people have no constitutional right to do it themselves.

from the National Initiative - Section 3.Procedures - paragraph P.Campaign Financing: "Only United States citizens may contribute funds, services or property in support of or in opposition to an initiative. Contributions from corporations including, but not limited to, such incorporated entities as industry groups, labor unions, political parties, political action committees, organized religions and associations, are specifically prohibited." In CA, the initiative process was used to replace re-elected Gov. Davis with Arnold. But when ex-Senator Debra Bowen put a bill on Arnold's desk that would have required full disclosure of sponsors for initiatives and referendums (I believe both in signature gathering and in advertising) he would not sign it. Many problems with the initiative process in CA would have been cured by Sen. Bowen's bill. The National Initiative is well thought out to avoid rushing into regrettable decisions. The most expert advice should be sought to review it and, if possible, improve it. Then it should be put to a national vote on paper, hand counted. Gov. Hiram Johnson held a special election on Oct. 10, 1911 and CA became the 10th. state in which citizens can enact state laws by initiative. Our ability to remove the control of our government by corporate interests depends on the National Initiative for Democracy. How many of our present candidates for President would commit to holding such an election? They should all be asked.

It's too long overdue. Government of the people, BY the people....why has it taken so long for someone to see what's been missing?

I see more cons than pros. I would rather have the power to challenge and change laws, not create them. The right to charge Congress for crimes would be nice too.

How about a radical idea for real democracy - admit not my idea but love it. Scrap the Senate (how can an institution that allows such long tenure be vibrant) and replace it with an institution that is elected/balloted every year as per the jury system. Members are drawn at random like juries and HAVE to serve in Washington for a year before making way for the next years batch. Just think new fresh ideas every year and no one in any special interests pocket. Now we will have real fresh debate and a grassroot peoples democracy.

The lobbyists would appoint the laws to be voted on by an uninformed public easly swayed by spin masters with hidden agendas to manipulate the popular vote and would disinfrachise rather than impower people who do vote. I see no gain just another opportunity to further devide. We need not fix the system, but instead fix our values.

The Idea is sound , the implementation presents problems, There is always the possibility of powerful organizations corrupting the system just as they have corrupted every other part of our government. However it is still worth a shot and could serve to force politicians to pay more attention to the people whom they represent. Certain safe guards and limits would be necessary to prevent abuse.

A swell idea. I can see this working - so long as a President doesn't completely disregard any laws created in this system by virtue of either 1) signing statements or 2)being commander in chief (in the case of Americans creating a law to bring home or troops) In other words, I have little faith our current system of government would enable this to work.

RIGHT ON, dude!!!

With the power of the internet and Web 2.0, we could eliminate the need for the legislative branch of government--who needs representatives when we can have every single citizen who cares voting on every single issue--in REAL TIME? Make senators and representatives merely tallying secretaries, and instead of 100,000/year, give em a quarter of that.

OH MY GOODNESS! This IS the answer. How do we begin

ummmmmmm Isn't this the govt "of the people, by the people, for the people....???? In this day and age, we no longer need a representative? to carry our messages to Washington ..... which the legislators never do.... but pad their own pockets and support special interest and lobbyist..... Isn't lobbying really bribery????? What a sad state of affairs.... and our country being destroyed by total incompetence and greed.

All we really need is a way for the people to overturn executive and congressional decisions - we should have the final veto power. If we could initiate a vote of no confindence. we could fire the president or cabinet wankers like Gonzales and Rove without having to worry about who's bribing or coercing who in congress. Representatives would be forced to represent or get fired. No more pandering or failing to act because of an election year- act or get lost.

Dear Loyal, Now THAT makes a LOT of sense!=)

To me the one huge glaring error in this idea is that the religious right wingers, including my own religion, already are one huge voting bloc of blind, knee jerk, lock step, 'stepford wives' robotic and extremely rabid voters. This proposal would put them in power forever. Does anyone really want the Pope of my church running America, I surely don't. But he owns the SCOTUS. Tom Monoghans(formerly of Dominos Pizza) Ave Maria law school graduates already dominate in one of the departments of the Bushie Neocon Rethugs government, I can't recall which one. And the Popes brethren Jerry Falwells law school grads dominate the DOJ, which is run by another right wing Catholic, Gonzo, who is totally corrupt. These people have us by the throat and are waterboarding the 241 million Americans who are not the 59 million that put Bush into the WH. What exactly is the difference between Islamic fundamentalists, evangelical fundamentalists and Catholic fundies. They all kill, they are all terrorists. The American fundies us our troops for cannon fodder and they use the Iraqi and Afghani people for cannon fodder, so that Bush and the Rethugs can get richer. The Rethugs and their religious and corporate enablers are consumed by greed for money and political power, dominion and domination over everyone who is not 'THEM'. These people are frightening. I worry far more about them than I do the Islamic fundies because they are destroying our democracy from within. Somehow I just don't think that Jesus would approve of their death machine agenda. Our democracy is nearly gone right now and a few more years of the same will END our country. Scalia, a staunch totally dedicated Catholic called for the END of the rule of law and the END of Democracy in America. In my lifetime what the Catholic Church is doing now it did the same thing before, during and after WWII when it aligned itself with Hitler and the Nazi Party. That resulted in six million dead Jews, the HOLOCAUST just because the Church was consumed by the notion that the JEWS killed Christ. What will these people do now. Killing is never right, no matter the reason. And killing for the Bush family oil wealth is a totally wretched reason. Killing our democracy(I know for you obsessives, our Federal Republic) is way far corrupt. Hating gays and abortions should be dealt with in other ways, by looking at the reasons, rather than ending our democracy(Federal Republic)and killing our troops, and the Iraqi and Afghani peoples. These right wingers are frightening as to what they will do next. Ending abortions is their code word for hating black people, hating gays is their code for hating a genetically induced person who is not the cause for their inability to be attracted to the opposite sex. Jimmy Carter had the right idea, look to the causes for abortions and ameliorate them, which most often is poverty. And how many in the religious right hate that which they are guilty of themselves. Can we all say Ted Haggard, Bob Allen, Foley and gay and pedophile priests. I just don't think gay, pedophile and uncelibate priests who wreck familes should be protected, hidden and allowed to continue their behavior in other parishes. All I can say is my church has gone totally corrupt.And finally why is everybody so afraid to call out the Catholic Church for it's involvement in warping our or rather their gov't. It's not mine and has not been for a long time, ever since Reagan, Pope John Paul, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson joined forces in a cabal of evil, horrors and death for profit nd political power. I know, this seems harsh but our country is in harsh times and being picked apart. America is no longer unified nation. Demographers and sociologist say that according to all the polls America is at least four different countries and as many as nine different countries. Another Rethug prez and we will be no more. And the Dems maynever bable to repair the enormous damage done by the Rethugs and their corporate and religious enablers. I fear for America and I see nothing on the horizon that looks promising. I think we are in deep trouble.

A citizen controlled direct democracy has been an unqualified success in Switzerland and it offers an attractive solution to the special interest control of the political system in the United States. For more information, read the free online book "The Swiss Preserve Solution" chapter on Switzerland at http://www.swissconfederationinstitute.org/swisspreserve23.htm Ron lives at Wolf Laurel Resort in NC.

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i love kristen onek she smells like butt

Votes on initiatives are not secret. Just as votes in the representative legislature are by roll call, so too are votes in the people's legislature. You cannot tamper with an open ballot.