Evaluate the effectiveness of direct democracy?

This is largely a matter of opinion.  There is no question
that direct democracy is less efficient than representative democracy.  But there is a
great deal of dispute over whether direct democracy is good in cases where it is
feasible.

A major example of this is in the intiative and
referendum procedures that we have here in the Western US.  By using these mechanisms,
individual citizens are able to vote directly on issues that are set before them.  This
is quite controversial.

Supporters of such direct democracy
argue that this gives the people a more direct voice and that this is good for a
democracy.  Detractors argue that the people do not have the time or energy to properly
inform themselves on complicated issues like taxation (a big issue in many
initiatives).  They believe that direct democracy leads to bad
decisions.