Legal Question in Constitutional Law in District of Columbia
Is there any where in the constitution that allows for citizens to vote on a subject matter that the aggregate vote would be capable of overriding senate and congressional positions?
For instance, just case and point. Can the American people vote on a bill that would reopen the government and impose cuts to budgets???
Where in the constitution are the protections of the people from governmental negligence and/or incompetence?
1 Answer from Attorneys
No. The Constitution set up a republic, not a direct democracy. The people don't vote on laws directly. Instead, we elect officials who do that for us. Believe it or not, if the public could do what you describe, our government would probably be even more dysfunctional than it already is.
Our most important protection against poor government is the right to vote for someone else in the next election. We also have courts which can strike down laws that are unconstitutional. In extreme cases, Congress can impeach an elected official or a judge and remove her from office.
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