Public Policy

According to a column in the LA Times in 2013, former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown says he never voted for a ballot initiative. Public policy should not be decided by the public in the voting booth, he said. It should be done by elected officials in the state Capitol, he said. “Democracy requires reasonable debate among people who have been designated as representatives and are usually well informed,” he said. Do you agree or disagree with his position? Why or why not? Do you think reforms are needed in the initiative process? If so, what reforms would you recommend?