OP-ED: The People’s Sovereign Power
by John J. Woodcock III | Aug 24, 2010 8:35am
(12) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Opinion
“All political power is inherent in the people”, states the Connecticut Constitution. We share that right with Switzerland, a country no larger than the state of Connecticut. Yet, only Switzerland honors the mandate of the peoples’ sovereign power through constitutionally guaranteed initiative and referendum rights. These initiative and referendum powers are vested in the Swiss citizenry at all three levels of government: Municipal, know as Communes; State, called Cantons; and Federal.
Along with ten other American’s, all guests of the Swiss government, I recently visited Switzerland where we participated in a five day direct democracy tour. We met with officials at every level of the initiative and referendum process: initiative sponsors, petition circulators, funders, election officials, and government officials, culminating with a one and a half hour meeting with Federal Chancellor, Corina Casanova, at the Federal Palace in Bern. This was a fact finding mission, and as the Chairman of Connecticut Citizens for Ballot Initiative, I am pleased to share some of the highlights and findings of our tour.
Connecticut does not have statewide initiative and referendum, but we practice these quite vigorously on a local level through referendum rights enjoyed in our municipal charters. And, Connecticut is no stranger to statewide initiative and referendum efforts. These rights were proposed and debated in the historic 1965 Constitutional Convention. Bills in support of initiative and referendum are filed and rejected bi-annually at our State Capitol. Connecticut is in a minority of nineteen (19) states without any form of direct democracy: initiative, referendum and recall.
In 1874, The Swiss Confederation enacted referendum rights for its citizens. The Swiss people call referendum the “brake” on their government. Their referendum mechanism gives the Swiss citizens the ability to challenge laws passed by their Parliament, in essence the peoples’ veto power. In 1891, the Swiss approved a constitutional amendment that gave their citizens initiative rights. The Swiss people call the initiative process their “gas pedal”. Through initiative, they can compel their government, when inactive or indifferent, to listen to their proposed initiative, and in essence, create their own law.
Some other facts and features of the Swiss model of initiative and referendum follow. Only ten percent of Swiss Initiative & Referendum become law, which shows the restraint and deliberativeness of the Swiss people. Since the French Revolution, of the 1430 national referendums held in the world, one-third have been in Switzerland. The Swiss have four (4) elections per year. The Swiss have 3.8 percent unemployment. A unique feature of the Swiss initiative referendum model is the Counter Proposal, a process that gives the Legislature the right to submit an alternative to an initiative or referendum proposed by the people, after which both questions go to the citizens for a vote, with the winner prevailing.
For example, if Connecticut citizens were to initiate an initiative seeking term limits of eight years (comparable to the President’s national term limit) the legislature could propose a limit of twelve years, with the public making the final decision between the two. The Swiss Counter Proposal has led to a system of concordance, where elected officials respect and are unthreatened by the people and their initiatives, and more importantly the electorate has more confidence in, and accountability over its elected officials. In Switzerland, initiatives often fail, but through the initiative and Counter Proposal process, the Parliament “gets the message”, and frequently enacts more exacting legislation, born from the failed initiative.
Connecticut Citizens for Ballot Initiative, a non-partisan, issue neutral political action committee, is supporting candidates in November’s election, who will give Connecticut citizens a statewide initiative and referendum mechanism, incorporating many elements of the Swiss initiative and referendum model, in particular the Counter Proposal concept.
Connecticut Citizens for Ballot Initiative endorses the Counter Proposal concept because this ensures the legislature an important and continuing role in the peoples’ initiative and referendum process. Today, public alienation and anger is very evident in our political system, notably at the state and federal levels. It’s time for our elected officials to honor our state’s Constitution, and to give sovereign power to the Connecticut citizen through a meaningful and substantive initiative and referendum law.
John Woodcock III will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday on the north steps of the State Capitol where he will talk about Connecticut Citizens for Ballot Initiative and thank the candidates for office who support it.
(12) Comments
posted by: CT Jim | August 25, 2010 4:21am
Ahhh Switzerland.
Does this mean we can vote to abolish the military??
Just imagine all of the money we would save.
We could then become nuetral like Switzerland.
Can we also vote on relaxing all the drug laws??
Marijuana use will be like taking aspirin and lets just get rid of that pesky right to bear arms.
I am sure we can get CT to vote for that.
And then maybe get a referendum on pedophile priests where we incarcerate them for life.
Ahhhh Switzerland.
posted by: CT Jim | August 25, 2010 4:25am
3.8 percent unemployement now I like that.
We can vote do take away all those unfair free trade agreements that make corporations run the country and require all manufactoring to be done here. And take away all the road blocks to unionization just like Switzerland. Sign me up!!
Ahhhh Switzerland!
posted by: Brian Parker | August 25, 2010 5:25am
Not sure “restraint” is the right word to describe the Swiss people while pointing out no other country uses initiatives nearly as much. Further, if only 10% become law, aren’t you suggesting there’s a bunch of bad proposals?
Interesting ideas though, sounds like a very cool experience.
posted by: Tony | August 25, 2010 8:22am
Every time I hear “referendum” I think of California and what a mess that state is in.
No thanks.
posted by: Polite | August 25, 2010 2:47pm
For those that want to see the results of the poll done by Pulse Opinion Research, part of the Rasmussen Organization, that was referenced at the press conference, please go directly to http://www.LetOurVoicesBeHeard.org to get the polling detail conducted on July 15, 2010.
posted by: CT Jim | August 27, 2010 8:49am
Once again another “Rasmussen” poll that supports right wing frindge groups.
Can you quote a poll by a company that is not controlled by Frank Luntz???
Didn’t think so.
posted by: GoatBoyPHD | August 28, 2010 10:07am
ElectionProjection.com has it - 9 Democratic Governors, -36 House Seats, and -7 Senators Jimbo.
Looks like the Progressive dream is dead, the GOP and Blue Dogs will rule and if there are a few GOP upsets in states like CT Obama will formally be named a Lame Duck One Term President.
This administration has the smell of George Bush Senior circa 1991 1992 or LBJ 1968 or Carter’s hostages come Fall 1980 or Bush Junior’s GM and Chrysler bailout hearings in Fall 2008.
What’s with the Frank Luntz thing anyway?
posted by: CT Jim | August 29, 2010 8:50am
Hey Goatee, These same great polling places had Lamont ahead by 17 and Foley up by 25 with 3 weeks to go and Malloy wins by 16 and Goley wind by 3 so keep dreaming.any of these races are less than 10 points and tightening even before grass roots Sept and Oct activities start. Which by the way favors Dems. The R pickups will be less than half of whY your dreaming about. I will keep this post and will remind you of it on Nov 3 rd
posted by: CT Jim | August 29, 2010 5:06pm
Frank Luntz, is a republican pollster and strategist.
His ties to Rasmussen go back 20 years.
any time republicans see a poll that doesn’t give them the numbers they want they go to Rasmussen.
There their good buddy will create a poll for them that asks the question just the right way to make it sound like polling is going their way.
This is the same company they went to when polls showed americans wanted Health Care reform.
Frank even went as far as telling people to disrupt the dems town hall meetings and even went as far a putting out talking ponts about death panels, medicare scares, and socialized medicine.
I know you would say so.
But he put out these talking points in March of 2009 a full 6 months before a bill was written.
posted by: GoatBoyPHD | August 30, 2010 7:24am
Frank, Christine edited my comment as is her right.
I know who Frank Luntz is and I know he Graduated from Hall in WH. Since you’ve mentioned him by name a couple times I was curious if there was a backstory there?
posted by: frank o'gorman | September 6, 2010 11:34am
The name may have changed to CT Citizens for Ballot Initiative but the people, principles and agenda are the same. The CT Constitutional Convention Campaign was also chaired by John J. Woodcock III. Those most invested in it were the extreme right-wing Family Institute of CT and the Federation of CT Taxpayers Organizations.
FIC wanted to deny marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples and even today, FIC Executive Director states in endorsing Martha Dean for Attorney General, “the debate on this issue is not over in Connecticut and that Connecticut will be revisiting this issue in the future.” Hmmm. I wonder if he would be interested in putting gay civil rights up for popular vote on a ballot initiative as his predecessor, Brian Brown, did in California with Proposition H8?
Right-wing extremists throughout the country have found in ballot initiatives a quick and easy way to further their agenda:
1) Spread lies about their opponents. “Gays will destroy marriage.” “Muslims are terrorists.” “Latino Immigrants are Criminals.”
2) Use these lies to generate fear and mobilize their base for money.
3) Use this money to fund ballot initiative campaigns, such as Prop H8, to scare their agenda into law.
We can see how effective the right-wing hysteria campaign is with polls showing 70% of people against the Islamic Center in Manhattan, in direct contradiction to the US Constitutional right to the free practice of religion.
Minority rights should never be up for popular vote. Social justice issues should not be decided by fear and false information.
Vote against and candidate endorsed by CT Citizens for Ballot Initiative.
For background information on the CT Constitutional Convention Campaign, the predecessor to the ballot initiative campaign, see:
http://faithct.net/taxonomy/term/74,22
posted by: Martha H | August 24, 2010 8:11pm
A Blast from the Past (well, 2008, anyway…)
From the Family Institute of Connecticut:
“Help Us Oppose Judicial Tyranny!
“Last Friday four judges on Connecticut’s Supreme Court undemocratically forced same-sex “marriage” on our state. Our best—very likely our only—chance to restore marriage and self-government in Connecticut is for the majority of state voters to vote “Yes” on Question 1 on Election Day (Nov. 4th) to have a constitutional convention.
“FIC will fight hard for that “Yes” vote these next three weeks and we know we can win if we have your help.”