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State Laws: Who has the final say?
By Laura Knoy on Wednesday, November 18, 2009.
Over the last two decades voters have passed their own laws and overturned legislation more often than ever before. We’re looking at this growing trend toward direct democracy, how it affects the way we govern ourselves, and whether citizen lawmaking truly reflects public opinion.
Guests
- Wayne Lesperance, Associate Professor of Political Science at New England College and head of its Center for Civic Engagement
- Dante Scala, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of New Hampshire and author of the blog Graniteprof
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The trend towards direct democracy would be encouraging, except for the now well documented willingness of the citizenry to write discriminatory language into their state constitutions.
Is it acceptable for any polity to oppress any minority if a majority wishes to? Would the U.S. be a better place if amending the U.S. constitution were as easy as amending the CA constitution?
With today's American citizenry rejecting Enlightenment era values, it is easy, perhaps too easy, to envision the repeal of the establishment clause.