Direct Democracy: Initiatives and Referendums

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Direct Democracy Initiatives and Referendums

• Session 22

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Initiatives - History

• A Progressive policy adopted by many states in
  the early part of the 1900s
• Revived in the 1970s
• Use grew rapidly because of counter-mobilization
• Grew also because of professionalization of the
  process enough money can get anything on the
  ballot
• Ideological mobilization as well

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Criticisms

• Hostile to unpopular minorities
• Faddish
• Voters competence is questionable
• Professionalization creates the antithesis of
  what the Progressives envisioned
• Voters can be manipulated by money
• Choices lack partisan and other cues that voters
  use

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Influence on Governing and Policy

• Genuine reflection of public opinion
• Indirect influence on how legislators behave
• Influence on governing institutions
• Minority populations

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Players and Strategies

• Players
• Those who represent broad diffuse constituencies
• Those who represent narrow interests
• Either type of group can oppose or propose an
  initiative

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Types of Contests
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Policy Outcomes in Direct Democracy States

• Governance Policy influence the governing
  process itself
• Legislative Behavior influence on the
  legislative process and legislators
• Morality Politics behavior is at issue

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Governance Policy

• Reform
• Unresponsive legislature
• Taxes and spending
• Tadeoffs
• Tax burdens
• State debt

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Legislative Behavior

• Threatening to pass an adverse initiative
• Signaling the groups support or opposition
• Three strikes

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Morality Politics

• Minority populations immigrants, gays
• Tyranny of the majority and Madison
• Legislatures
• Courts