In explaining doubts about voting system, LePage says US is ‘not a democracy’

Source: Bangor Daily News

Gov. Paul LePage said Thursday during a radio appearance on WGAN that the United States has gone so far awry that it isn’t a democracy anymore.

“If we were a democracy we would have already fallen apart,” said LePage. “We are a representative republic. The direction the country has to start looking now is a parliamentary system. If the government is messing up, you throw the bums out.”

The comment by the Republican governor came during a conversation about the five referendum questions on the Nov. 8 ballot, during which LePage said he fears too many Mainers don’t understand what they’re voting on.

In a representative republic, elected officials represent only certain blocs of the electorate as opposed to in a democracy, where voters more directly elect their leaders. In a parliamentary system, the executive branch of government is elected by the legislative body — parliament — and is held accountable by legislators. The legislative body can vote out the chief executive — such as a prime minister — anytime.

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Read more: http://stateandcapitol.bangordailynews.com/2016/10/20/in-explaining-doubts-about-voting-system-lepage-says-us-is-not-a-democracy-anymore/