Globally, Broad Support for Representative and Direct Democracy

[Dill]

Thanks to BPat and Leonard for generating a great discussion.

I don't have much to say yet, but I much enjoy reading the solid points made by both sides.

I am from a rural state (Montana) but espouse "urban values." So I am pulled both directions in the electoral college debate.

The discussion brings to mind Madison's Federalist Paper No. 10, in which he talks about the difference between direct and representative democracy, and why the latter is better at balancing factions. His primary concern (or one at least) was to insure that a majority could not dominate a minority. Hence differing powers of senate and congress, of local and national elections etc. He also thought the size of the country (only 13 colonies back then) would prevent a majority from dominating. But he still seems worried about totally turning the reins of government over to "the people." Did he take seriously the possibility that a minority might dominate? I think he was nervous about what might happen if a demagogue with no knowledge of government massed enough voters behind a party to control all three branches of government, subordinating the whole to an unstable "faction."