http://citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/blogs/main/2009/11/25/citizenship-the-power-and-tools-to-influence-policy/ General musings from Citizenship Foundation staff Thu, 17 May 2012 06:29:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/blogs/main/2009/11/25/citizenship-the-power-and-tools-to-influence-policy/#comment-3463 ADRIAN Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:58:14 +0000 http://citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/blogs/main/?p=92#comment-3463 It seems to me that citizens of Switzerland have a much greater power to influence both local and national policy than we have in the UK; the right to petition for a veto referendum means that politicians find it much more difficult to impose laws that are opposed by the majority: if they try, they risk the possibility that an individual will successfully petition for a referendum on the law at issue. The government is bound by the result of the referendum. I shall not take seriously our politicians talk of democratic reform whilst they so studiously avoid Swiss style direct democracy. Parliamentary democracy, especially in the form of whipped parties, is a very inadequate form of democracy as more and more voters are coming to realise. It seems to me that citizens of Switzerland have a much greater power to influence both local and national policy than we have in the UK; the right to petition for a veto referendum means that politicians find it much more difficult to impose laws that are opposed by the majority: if they try, they risk the possibility that an individual will successfully petition for a referendum on the law at issue. The government is bound by the result of the referendum. I shall not take seriously our politicians talk of democratic reform whilst they so studiously avoid Swiss style direct democracy. Parliamentary democracy, especially in the form of whipped parties, is a very inadequate form of democracy as more and more voters are coming to realise.

]]>