Direct Democracy in America

In 1634, ten adventurers (as history named them) set foot on the banks of the Connecticut River at a place that would be named Wethersfield. The area appeared fertile and promising for settlement. While most of the group would eventually seek their fortunes elsewhere, one of them, John Oldham, was more determined.

He successfully persuaded two additional groups to join him over the next three years, growing the colony to a total of 90 farmers, along with their wives. John Oldham, a natural leader, would meet a tragic fate in 1636 when he was killed by the Pequot Indians. His death triggered a series of conflicts with Native Americans that would continue until 1675. In response, the colony sought alliances with other Puritan settlements, which resulted in a loss of some of its autonomy. They adhered to the Code of 1650, a strict set of regulations governing militias and mandating compulsory education.

By 1648, the Town Meeting, established by the inhabitants (see map), became a communal space that served both as a church and an agora for making civic decisions. This model was adopted by surrounding townships, each outlined in their own charters. In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville visited to inspect the prison as part of his mission and was impressed by this form of direct democracy. In this system, every registered inhabitant had the right to express their opinion on proposed projects and taxes before casting a vote by show of hands.

Tocqueville admired this consensual approach, noting that public officials were elected without the influence of clientelism and that any tax required popular approval among the citizens. The framework for this direct democracy was established by Tocqueville, who supported a republic that avoided the excesses of the Terror(1793-1794) that tarnished the revolution of 1789 and devastated his family. 

Local direct democracy still operates in two forms:

- One form is the referendum, which is also referred to as a ballot question. In 2022, Wethersfield residents were asked whether they would approve approximately $28 million in funding for improvements to the city's schools, financed through the issuance of loan bonds. The result was a resounding "no." Of the 20,404 registered voters, 11,354 cast their votes (with 6,570 voting "no" and 4,787 voting "yes"). It is also important to note that this form of referendum democracy is implemented at the state level within the federation. Eleven states have included the abortion issue on the ballot for the elections scheduled on November 5. Since the revocation of the Roe v. Wade judgment, the responsibility for deciding this matter now falls to the states. Five were seeking the views of constituents on the issue of legalizing marijuana (medical or recreational use)

In other words, the type of social contract invented for religious reasons by the first settlers in New England flourished. This makes it possible to qualify the critical remark of the historian Pierson, a specialist in Tocqueville, who finds that his favorite author had been a little quick to generalize what he had seen in Wethersfield during a very brief stay. "He thought of Connecticut as a symbol of New England, and New England as a miniature reproduction of all America. He spent the last two days in Wethersfield getting a clear idea of the characteristics of decentralization in New England," the scholar wrote;  In "Democracy in America", two chapters are entitled "decentralization" and "local governance" .

- The town has now elected a mayor and a city manager, and a specialized manager has been appointed. Voting at municipal council meetings is now limited to the budget and five-year changes to the charter governing the municipality. The municipal council is responsible for the governance process. However, citizens are still invited to share their opinions; they come to the desk to speak, and their comments can later be translated into ballot questions. In some townships participants are selected.  However, In Springfield, citizens express their views via Zoom. Democracy has thus become more professionalized and hierarchical, a development that Tocqueville, who was wary of "the tyranny of the people" and believed that any republic should be led by responsible notables—“natural” leaders—might not have disapproved of. However, it is important to note that some authors consider this form of direct local democracy to be perverted. Others point out that citizen participation has declined.

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