I believe in representative democracy. That is, we elect people to represent us. Once elected and sitting in their legislature, I trust our elected representatives to make the important decisions for us.
But for those issues where our representatives are NOT able to capably represent us and come to a firm decision as a result of the cut and thrust of parliamentary debate, alternatives should be looked at. The healthcare debate is one such example. What I think should happen is this: a referendum question with a "yes" or "no" option for the voter should be presented on a national level. And the question should be something to the effect: "Do you want a universal one-payer system for healthcare in the United States?" And then let the games begin. Enough already with the nuances, compromises, and all the crap that is happening. Let the people decide once and for all. Enough with this on-going debate. What do you folks think?