=Merits of Direct Legislation.=—The reputed merits of the initiative and referendum may be summed up under four heads. 1. _It makes government more democratic._ In legislatures the influence of some class, section, or partisan element among the people has often determined the nature of the laws. By the use of direct legislation the whole people can make their will effective. 2. _It has an educative value._ People who are called upon to vote upon measures will learn something about them before going to the polls. When the legislators alone make the laws, the individual voter takes no interest in the lawmaking. But when the questions go on the ballot there is a general public discussion of the arguments for and against. In this way the whole body of the voters becomes informed on public problems. 3. _It gives the ordinary citizen a chance to make his influence felt._ The legislature, in doing its work, does not hear much from the plain man who attends to his own business. It hears chiefly from the “vested interests”, the corporations, and capitalists on the one hand, or from labor organizations or the farmers on the other. It is also subjected to pressure by politicians and party leaders. But a considerable part of the population is made up of men and women who are neither capitalists, union workers, nor politicians. Direct legislation gives this silent section of the electorate a chance. 4. _It keeps legislative bodies on their good behavior._ The initiative and referendum are not intended to supplant lawmaking by legislatures. Most of the laws will continue to be made by the old process. Direct legislation is merely a remedy in the hands of the people for use when the regular lawmaking bodies fail to carry out the popular will. Knowing that the voters have this weapon ready for use, the legislators are more careful about what they do. They know that an appeal may be taken to the voters and their own decisions overturned. This is an incentive to better work on their part. Hence the initiative and referendum will really strengthen rather than destroy our system of representative government. [Sidenote: The arguments against.]