罢免选举
维基百科，自由的百科全书
罢免选举是指为免去一位当选官员职务而进行的特别投票选举。同创制权和复决权一样，罢免选举是19世纪末20世纪初，美国进步运动提倡的一种主要的选举改革。这个运动不是很成功，因为今天美国的联邦政府以及50个州里的32个州已经禁止了罢免选举。[1]
[编辑] 注釋（未翻譯部分）
- ↑ In the eighteen U.S. states that today allow the recall of state officials, only two Governors have ever been successfully recalled. In 1921, North Dakota's Lynn J. Frazier was recalled over a dispute about state-owned industries, and in 2003, California Governor Gray Davis was recalled over mismanagement of the state budget. The movement in California was spearheaded by then-Governor Hiram Johnson as a "precautionary measure by which a recalcitrant official can be removed". It was instituted as a way for the populace to fight back against political corruption and the powerful railroads and banks, which had enormous influence on state governments. Until Gray Davis' recall in October 2003, no California statewide official had ever been recalled, though there were 117 previous attempts. Only seven of those attempts even made it onto the ballot, all for state legislators. In California, every Governor since Ronald Reagan in 1968 has been subject to a recall effort, but none until Gray Davis, the 37th Governor of California, had to face a special recall election. In 2003, several million citizens petitioned the government for a gubernatorial recall election. Davis pointed the paradox that, if he was recalled, any candidate with a plurality vote could win the election, but he needed a majority of 50% plus one vote to stay in charge.
目录
[编辑] Representative recall
The Canadian province of British Columbia has representative recall. In that province, voters in a provincial riding can petition to have a sitting representative removed from office, even a Premier presently leading a government. If enough voters sign the petition, the Speaker of the legislature announces before the House that the member has been recalled and a by-election follows as soon as possible, it gives the opportunity to replace the politician in question. Fourteen United States states have similar measures in their constitutions — and many more municipalities — but generally these measures fail to operate more readily than in British Columbia, which in January 2003 achieved a record twenty-two such recall efforts (all but one of them, excluding the recall of Paul Reitsma, ultimately failed, however). In Canada, the Governor-General and Lieutenant-Governors can also theoretically call federal and provincial elections at will, but have never done so without the request of the corresponding first minister.
[编辑] Recall in the Venezuelan constitution of 1999
Article 72 of the 1999 Constitution of Venezuela enables a recall of any elected representative, including the president, and has been used in the Venezuelan recall referendum, 2004:
- Article 72: All [...] offices filled by popular vote are subject to revocation.
- Once one-half of the term of office to which an official has been elected has elapsed, a number of voters representing at least 20% of the registered voters in the affected constituency may petition for the calling of a referendum to revoke that official's mandate.
- When a number of voters equal to or greater than the number of those who elected the official vote in favour of the recall, provided that a number of voters equal to or greater than 25% of the total number of registered voters vote in the recall referendum, the official's mandate shall be deemed revoked and immediate action shall be taken to fill the permanent vacancy as provided for by this Constitution and by law.
[编辑] List of recall elections
- 1921 North Dakota recall
- 1978 Cleveland Recall Election
- 2003 California recall
- 2004 Venezuela recall
- 2005 recall of Spokane, Washington, mayor James E. West
[编辑] See also
Template:Elections-small
- Right of recall
- Paul Reitsma
- Mark Allan Robinson
- Ostracism, the process by which Athenians could ban a possible tyrant from the city.
