That's no substitute for CIR BAYGON;

Your system restricts the 'case-making' to only politicians and the vote to only 12 random people;
CIR allows EVERYONE to present evidence, and allows EVERYONE to act as jurors- and there is no reason why only the people above should get an exclusive right to judge but not everyone else- when it is clear that everyone else is just as capable of making a decision- and being that both bodies are in a less controlled environment, are actually LESS prone to being manipulated as there is no monopoly on ideas (especially as politicians have numerous other agendas outside the issue which they stand to benefit from by skewing an issue a certain way).

Considering that our referenda result over our history (the few times we've been allowed to have them)- have been exceptionally sensible outcomes, based on quite sophisticated logic of the deeper implications of the system at large- often staunchly AGAINST popular media, celebrities and Politicians unless they actually agreed on the reasoning (the voting down the republic despite the overwhelming jingoism and media endorsement pushing for it)- the idea that 'people just get sucked into media when voting on a referendum' is a total fallacy.

Ah, KH, nothing like a bit of Athenian democracy. I've been advocating this for ages. With modern biometrics, even voting from home on your PC is no problem. However, there are significant difficulties in a modern age too.

If done well it could enable significantly enhanced participation, but if done badly, it could entrench a version of the Party system with the potential to undermine democracy.

It's a fun thought experiment, I have to say. How do you make such a thing workable?

go and throw your hat in the ring.
579,
You're not accepted if you're not ex Uni. Sad but true that so much talent is wasted because of that. We always complain about pollies not performing yet on the other hand we don't let competent people into politics. Yes you get monkeys if you pay peanuts but you get apes if you pay bananas.