Forcing Choice

What happens when crucial public issues are decided by the people themselves?

Canadians answered “Yes” or “No” to prohibiting alcohol, conscripting soldiers, and revamping our constitution. Forcing the public to make crucial choices at the ballot box is high-stakes democracy, both here and overseas – as witnessed with Britain’s transformative 2016 “Brexit” verdict.

Forcing Choice highlights Canada’s extensive use of ballot questions at all levels of government, and weighs the benefits of having citizens make fundamental decisions for the nation. Putting an issue directly before voters is tricky, and getting it wrong — as happened in Canada — carries a high price.

This timely contribution is based on J. Patrick Boyer’s deep research on direct democracy and his personal experience advising premiers about referendums, writing books, drafting and introducing the Canada Referendum Act, and campaigning (for the “Yes” side) in the national referendum on the Charlottetown Accord.