[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4437]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    MAJORITY RULE BY RAHUL NAGVEKAR

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 15, 2016

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight from across the political spectrum that 
sheds a light on the concerns of our younger constituents. Giving voice 
to their priorities will hopefully instill a better sense of the 
importance of being an active participant in the political process. 
Many of the students have written short essays on a variety of topics 
and I am pleased to share them with my House colleagues.
  Rahul Nagvekar attends Dulles High School in Sugar Land, Texas. The 
essay topic is: majority rule.

       Majority rule is an important principle in any democracy, 
     but it is always crucial to preserve the rights of and 
     consider ideas from minority factions. To improve our system 
     of majority rule, I would seek to introduce legislation 
     permitting binding nationwide referenda, consequently 
     allowing proposals supported by an absolute majority of 
     voters to be enacted independently of our party system.
       Our current system of majority rule allows political 
     factions to claim majority status even without the support of 
     a numerical majority of voting-eligible Americans. In the 
     last ten years, voter turnout has never exceeded 65% in a 
     nationwide election. Even a party that wins 55% of the vote 
     in an election with 65% turnout--almost always sufficient for 
     a majority in a legislature or Electoral College--has been 
     endorsed by just over 35% of eligible voters. Clearly, this 
     does not indicate majority support for the winning party's 
     policies and positions.
       As an alternative, I believe America needs a nationwide 
     petition-and-referendum system, some variant of which is 
     already used in most states to consult voters about 
     significant changes to legislation. Here is a basic framework 
     for a nationwide referendum system, which can, if used 
     correctly, bypass the party system and promote true majority 
     rule:
       1. Any voting-eligible American citizen can introduce a 
     petition calling for a referendum, either to introduce a new 
     law or to repeal an existing law. The petitioner should 
     include the text of his or her proposed referendum question.
       2. Once the petition is signed by 20% of all voting-
     eligible Americans, the proposal will be submitted to a 
     Referendum Committee consisting of five constitutional law 
     experts, all appointed by the Supreme Court. (The very high 
     signature threshold should ensure that referenda are only 
     used to resolve questions of genuine national importance.)
       3. If the Referendum Committee unanimously concludes that 
     the passage of the referendum will not violate the 
     Constitution, the referendum question will appear on the 
     ballot at the next available opportunity. Nationwide 
     referenda will coincide with elections to the House of 
     Representatives, but no more than three referendum questions 
     will appear simultaneously on any national ballot.
       4. If an absolute majority of voting-eligible Americans 
     vote for the referendum proposal, the referendum will be 
     binding and the proposal will be passed into law with a vote 
     of Congress and the signature of the president.
       This petition-and-referendum system enhance our current 
     system of majority rule, first and foremost by allowing a 
     proposal genuinely supported by a majority of voting-eligible 
     Americans to be enacted into law even if it is not supported 
     by the governing party. Additionally, by giving citizens a 
     say in important national matters, a referendum system is 
     likely to encourage increased turnout in future elections. I 
     sincerely believe that this increased political participation 
     will lead to more vigorous debate, encouraging winning 
     parties to consider ideas from their defeated opponents--
     making our majority rule system more functional and 
     democratic.

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