就民主政治理論而言，公民投票不僅是一種法律制度，更是一種體現「主權在民」的政治制度。但台灣由於公民投票法的高門檻限制，反而不易「主權在民」體制之施行。2013年3月25日，行政院長江宜樺宣示將以公投決定核四是否停建，但在完成公投前，核四仍持續興建，不過行政院將暫緩提出審議所有的核四工程追加預算，一號機也不會安裝燃料棒。對於江院長的公投宣布，社會各界質疑聲浪四起，核四公投尚未舉行，然過程中對於此次公投是否可能出現「反民主」的隱憂卻已湧現，產生了理想與現實之間的困境。

In terms of democratic theory, the referendum is not only a legal mechanism, but also a political one that may delineate the people’s sovereignty. Nevertheless, due to the high threshold imposed by the Referendum Law, it can hardly take that effect. Earlier this year, the Premier Jiang Yi-Huah declared that Executive Yuan would employ referendum to decide whether to keep the Longmen Nuclear Power Plant. However, he went further, before the referendum, its construction would be continued even though the Executive Yuan would temporarily suspend its supplementary budget proposed. Immediately after the Premier’s announcement, one wonders whether a tide of “anti-democracy” is emerging. This note attempts to look into the dilemma between ideal and reality.