Citizens Propose Initiatives

Small groups of Citizens and qualified U.S. organizations write and propose initiatives hoping that the People will approve them. Small groups tend to be far more creative than large groups. Some examples are a blue-ribbon panel, a study group, a self-selected team of the nation’s best minds, government insiders and ex-congresspersons, crowdsourcing, a nonprofit organization, or any group of at least 25 ordinary Citizen Authors and Supporters. They propose Initiatives for federal legislation and constitutional amendments by publishing them in a specific newspaper, category, and day of the week and the newspaper posts them to the IQA’s web site.

To control a flood of Initiatives, an initial fee of $10,000 will probably decline over time. For encouragement and reward, when Voters approve their Initiative, Authors share $1 million and Supporters share $50,000. A Citizen may propose one Initiative every two years.

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Citizens’ On-Line Feedback

All proposed Initiatives, modifications and comments will be available and searchable on-line from the IQA’s web site in the form of web blogs or successor technologies.

After registering a valid Internet ID (or by publication), U.S. Citizens’ and qualified U.S. organizations will improve Initiatives by providing feedback on proposed Initiatives, participating in opinion polls to approve or reject, etc.

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Initiatives Qualifying Assembly (IQA)

The IQA consists of 500 randomly selected Citizens (an accurate cross-section of all Citizens eligible to vote—a mirror or exact portrait of the People). It does what a large group does well—it deliberates and ranks the proposed Initiatives and chooses the best after a process of deliberation, duplicate team evaluations, expert help, feedback, elimination, etc. The IQA may suggest corrections and/or improvements to the Authors and the Authors may re-propose their Initiative.

The IQA will be independent from government, controlled by the People through Initiatives, meet monthly, protected to a higher degree than a Federal Grand Jury, extremely safe from tampering or media exploitation.

The final selection will be from Initiatives that have passed all the safeguards and will not overburden the Voters. At each general election, about ten to fifteen qualified Initiatives will go on the ballot as Candidate Direct Initiatives.

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Congress

In addition, the IQA may submit up to twelve Candidate Indirect Initiatives to Congress over each two-year period. Congress may modify them, may or may not approve them, and they are subject to Presidential veto.

Indirect Initiatives are appropriate when the Authors believe that Congress will support them, thereby saving the nationwide Electorate much time and effort.

If Congress or the President decides not to take appropriate action, the Initiatives can still go on the ballot as Direct Initiatives.

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Citizens Vote to Approve or Reject Each Initiative

The People vote to approve or reject each Candidate Direct Initiative by voting at general elections. When a Legislative Initiative passes, it becomes law that neither Congress nor the President can overrule; when a Constitutional Initiative passes it still needs ratification by majority vote of the People in each of 38 States.