Tough Love and Coming of Age

Sometimes parents have to make harsh decisions for the long term good of their children. Sometimes governments may adopt a similar attitude and fly in the face of public opinion. They believe, as rulers, that they are right and their decisions are for the common good. This is an argument sometimes put forward for Parliamentary Democracy.

The electorate aren't children. They have foresight and are willing to suffer for what they believe to be right: witness the efforts and sacrifices made in WWII, for example. They are also capable, as jurors, of dealing with complex decisions with serious outcomes.

Interactive Democracy may be seen, in some ways, as a coming of age: Instead of being ruled, the electorate begin ruling themselves.