Proposition: Direct Democracy brings stability

Proposition Post 1
Yi Yan
I believe that democracy does indeed bring stability. To prove my point, I shall be restricting myself to one type of democracy - direct democracy.

In political science, democracy can be said to offer the maximum amount of individual social liberty, as opposed to totalitarianism.
Modern direct democracy is characterized by three pillars: Initiative, Referandum and Recall. Together, these pillars are the foundation for which sovereignty of all citizens who choose to vote is built upon. With direct democracy, citizens can vote for their views and if their view is shared by the majority, it is implemented. We shall see how this helps to bring social and political stability.

Social instability comes from dissatisfaction – if citizens get to vote to attempt to satisfy their needs, there will be less dissatisfaction because the majority will be appeased and therefore social stability will ensue. For example, if there is dissatisfaction with the current constitution, initiatives by citizens can be started, which when signed by a certain minimum number of people, can force a public vote on an issue. Furthermore, there is a former protocol of voting for resolving conflicts of interest, and such conflicts can be resolved simply by calling for a referendum.

There will also be political stability in a direct democracy. In a direct democracy, officials are voted in by citizens and can be recalled, as contrasted with a dictatorship, where an individual holds absolute power. In such a way, bad politicians/officers who may cause instability politically can simply be recalled. This can be contrasted to a dictatorship; a dictator cannot be taken from his position of power by the people. Furthermore, the presence of multiparty politics allows a balance of power on the political scene. The officials/politicians who in the eyes of the people, serve best, can be voted in. For example, in Switzerland, the centre of political decisions is nearer to the individual. The federal government has little influence and has authority only in matters of foreign affairs and defence. The Swiss cantons legislate on matters of education, police, criminal justice, immigration, etc. Many decisions are even made at the municipal level. This allows the Swiss to have a larger say in their own country, and keeps them happy.

From this, it can be concluded that democracy does bring stability.