By The People: Are Illinois Politics Getting Progressive?
100 years ago, the progressive movement swept American politics and inspired democratization at both the national and state levels.
Women gained the right to vote. U.S. Senators were directly elected instead of appointed by state legislators. And many states introduced measures to give their citizens direct input on government policies using referenda and initiatives.
Today, nearly half of the states allow citizens to validate and initiate governmental policies through this version of direct democracy. Citizens in some states have used this direct democracy to legalize medical marijuana and doctor-assisted suicide while some have voted to make gay marriage illegal.
Unlike these progressive states, Illinois election law makes it quite difficult to get voter initiatives listed on the ballot. But this year, Illinois voters will get a chance to use direct democracy to affirm a possible state constitutional amendment.
Voters throughout the state will have the chance to affirm whether the Illinois Constitution should allow future governors to be recalled.
In addition, Buffalo Grove voters have been given the chance to use the power of recall. Citizens there will vote on whether Trustee Lisa Stone should be recalled. If approved, it will be the first time in state history that voters recall an elected official.
But these examples do not mean that Illinois is growing a progressive political culture.
Illinois still lags behind in giving citizens opportunities to vote directly on policies because our system of government—like the national constitution—prefers republican government. Our system prioritizes the role of elected officials in making governmental policy.
This can delay the enactment of legislation as bills get stuck in the gridlock of Springfield. This system of government can also allow minority factions to slow policy changes. But republican government can also help promote the review of policies by officials elected to become experts in certain policies.
As James Madison argued in The Federalist Papers, republican government can prevent the tyranny of the majority. Large republics help foster a culture in which a majority has difficulty oppressing a minority. Republics often work to resolve disputes with compromise between factions.
The idea of progressive politics always sounds great to us in Illinois, but plenty of voters in progressive states can tell us that the majority does not always act as progressively as we desire.
