Imagine we had real democracy where people vote on issues. Speed limits? Vote once every 7 years or so on it and be done with it. Same for abortion laws, drug laws, gambling laws. Have a debate, vote, come back to it in 7 years if there is public interest. Preferably vote locally on issues that can be applied locally (like speed limits/enforcement etc.).

Public debate and assessing politicians and parties would be so much cleaner then if they couldn't use polarizing issues to rally their support and do w/e they please on all other issues.

Popular vote would have made sure civil rights legislation never passed and everything down to the schools and bathrooms would still be segregated.

As a Swiss all I can say is that this is not how that would work out. Some of the most polarising statements I have ever heard come from Swiss politicians.

Although it is a more recent development since a certain billionaire (what else) took up politics as a side hustle.

I would hate to live in that political system. Just imagining the ways it would be gamed and the billionaire press would leverage these votes makes me shudder.

So far the best modern improvement I’ve seen (and it could be further improved of course) is the increasing use of citizens assemblies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens%27_assembly