Mark Milke, President of the Aristotle Foundation, joins Stephen LeDrew to discuss a growing frustration in Canada: the feeling that institutions making major decisions are increasingly disconnected from the people who live with the consequences.
Milke argues that businesspeople and politicians face obvious reality checks — businesses fail, politicians lose elections — while people working within universities, courts and government institutions can sometimes advance without facing the same direct consequences for their ideas or decisions.
The conversation turns to Canada’s democratic system and whether citizens have enough influence between elections. Milke points to Switzerland and parts of the United States, where citizens can initiate referendums and put specific policies directly to a vote.
He argues that Canada should consider similar reforms, pointing to the 1992 Charlottetown Accord referendum as an example of Canadians becoming deeply engaged when given a direct say on an important national question.
Is voting every few years enough — or do Canadians need a more direct way to hold institutions accountable?
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