“The Founding Fathers had it right. There is an inherent danger coming from direct democracy when combined with an uninformed and manipulated public that has to decide the policy of a country, as we saw on June 23 when 36 percent of eligible voters in the UK chose to exit the European Union. Again, this should not come as a surprise. In one sense, the Brexit referendum illustrates as much the failure of the experts and elected politicians as it shows that relying on the masses and populism can lead to suspect and potentially damaging decisions. In that sense, we have to guard ourselves against direct democracy being hijacked by demagogues and populists lest we have to endure the ‘tyranny of the majority’ at the expense of wiser policies.”
— Franz-Stefan Gady, Brexit: The American Founding Fathers Had it Right: Direct Democracy Is a Dead Duck
Tagged: Democracy, Politics, Brexit, Ignorance
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Brexit: The American Founding Fathers Had it Right: Direct Democracy Is a Dead Duck thediplomat.com

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