The National Initiative for Democracy
Taking the "mock" out of democracy with national ballot initiatives
the Constitution to be ratified by a direct vote of The People!
Led by Presidential candidate and former US Senator Mike Gravel, the National Initiative empowers us to share law-making power with representatives, similar to ballot initiatives in 24 States, but at all levels from national to local and with major improvements (see below.) It empowers We The People to check and balance with legislators, Congress, lobbyists, and money!
Senator Gravel and others tried to get Congress to ratify the similar National Voter Initiative in 1977, but of course Congress refused to share power. Since, Gravel discovered the Founders had the same basic problem: the existing 13 Legislatures refused to share real power with the upstart USA. The Founders pondered and instead had The People ratify the Constitution at the Constitutional Conventions. James Madison said "The people were in fact, the fountain of all power, and by resorting to them, all difficulties were got over."(See his 2nd response in the 1787 Debate)
Now we ask you to read and vote to ratify the National Initiative, to make real the promise of "government by the people." The National Initiative consists of the brief Democracy Amendment and the more detailed Democracy Act.
Real Leaders Agree
- The Founders would agree! George Washington said "The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government." More Founders' quotes.
- Still think citizens can't amend the Constitution because of Article V? Read
Popular Sovereignty and Constitutional Amendment by famed Constitutional lawyer Akil Reed Amar - Superlative people agree: Patch Adams to Howard Zinn
- The Economist Magazine agrees: in 17articles!
- Even animals practice democracy! NY Times article
This vote is no poll. It's as legal as the conventions which ratified the Constitution. Senator Gravel keeps your email, registered address, etc., with your vote so it can be verified, but will share this data ONLY with the government when ratification is complete: when more than half the people who voted in the previous Presidential election vote for the Initiative. You can change your vote at any time until then. This will take several years.
Why ballot initiatives?
- Initiatives put the people in the drivers seat. Responsibility brings more responsible people: more people vote in States with initiatives. In Switzerland, 160 years of national initiatives result in the highest newspaper readership in the world. The mental health benefits are incalculable.
- Initiatives are competition for legislators, which brings more representative behavior from representatives. The National Initiative will break Congress' monopoly on national legislative power.
- People are less influenced by money than representatives are. This study and book show that people favor "grassroots" initiatives over "big money" initiatives while the Associated Press shows Congress usually votes the way big money wants. Jack Abramoff can't take us all on vacation!
- When legislators make mistakes they cover them up --to protect their careers & egos. Citizens lack the coverup incentive but have incentive to fix mistakes: regular people suffer more than the privileged. Thomas Jefferson said "The will of the majority is the natural law of every society and the only sure guardian of the rights of man; though this may err, yet its errors are honest, solitary and short-lived."
- Large, diverse groups of independent people make better decisions. The award-winning book The Wisdom of Crowds
shows how and why.
Improvements
The National Initiative makes these improvements over state ballot initiatives
based on a century of state initiatives and 160 years of Swiss initiatives:
- Far more deliberative by having randomly-selected "Deliberative Committees" hold hearings, take expert testimony, and negotiate amendments. Their reports would be disseminated by all media.
- Far easier by qualifying initiatives by poll, as well as petition: if a majority polled want to vote on an initiative, they get to.
- Far less influenced by money, by allowing only individual contributions to initiative campaigns. No corporate or union donations. The Deliberative Committee reports seen everywhere would make big-money ad campaigns much less important!
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"We want saints and gurus and leaders and heroes because we are lazy. We think they have done all the work, and all that we have to do is just to follow them. You know, when you follow somebody, you're not only destroying yourself, but the other whom you follow." -Krishnamurti Who really likes democracy? A tale of 4 Udalls -my Congressman, his brothers and late mother. |
NEWS!
- 1/25/08
National Initiatives rated #1 in democracy ideas within 24 hours at On Day One, a project of the Better World Fund! Please rate, comment or Digg us here or submit your own ideas:
- 11/28/07 Vote.org founder Evan Ravitz interviewed by Judah Freed on KGNU Listen (starts 7:30 in, past music and news)
- 11/26/07 Evan interviewed by Carol Brouillet on We the People Radio Listen
- 1/26/07
The University of Colorado Law School's conference "The Voice of the Crowd: Colorado's Initiative" was held at the Capitol in Denver with speakers including Ben Barber, author of Strong Democracy. - 11/21/06 2006 Ballot initiative wrap up
Contact Vote.org founder Evan Ravitz: Evan (at) Vote.org
Bookmark at: del.icio.us or 
Digg to spread the word!
Vote for us: OnDayOne.org
Evan Ravitz, founder 303-440-6838 EvanRavitz.com
"Fool's gold exists because there is real gold." -Rumi
More info is at Senator Gravel's web site.