> When they are rare, and limited, and like in Switzerland not something pulled on a whim but actually requires some work to call, they might just work.

In Switzerland you essentially vote on 2-5 issues every quarter. I think this very regularity has educated the people.

It also helps that by law, if you vote on a proposal that would increase spending, you aso vote on how much your taxes increase. In the case of the Gotard Tunnel it was 1.6% increase in income tax for several decades (if I'm not mistaken). Swiss even vote on buying fighter jets, etc. You would be surprised how well it works.

All that said, the swiss constitution actually states that it is the job of the government to make sure the people have a good standard of living. So many social policies which would be difficult to get through constitutionally in lets say the US are rather simple in the Switzerland.

My only big nitpick in the swiss system is the lack of minority protection an little to no checks and balances by the supreme court on referenda.