Initiative and referendum voting : governing through direct democracy in the United States / Rich Braunstein.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Braunstein, Richard.

Series:

American legal institutions.

American legal institutions

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Referendum--United States.

Referendum.

Direct democracy--United States.

Direct democracy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (178 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York : LFB Scholarly Pub., 2004.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Braunstein's work explores all aspects of initiative and referendum voting, including the subject matter of proposed laws, their potential costs and benefits, ballot issue campaign finance, and the electoral success for each initiative in California, Colorado, and South Dakota. He tests the validity of competing claims that direct democracy is either the bane of democratic publics or their safeguard. His conclusions demonstrate that voters are more sophisticated than many commentators think, that voting behavior reflects a preference for measures with widely accessible benefits, and that inclusive public policy can result from ballot issue elections - even those funded by organized interests. These findings challenge a perception that special interests, professional consultants, and governing elites dominate direct democracy.

Contents:

Intro

Table of Contents

Table of Tables

Table of Figures

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Ballot Issue Politics in the United States

Historical Foundations of Direct Democracy

Legislative Types Produced in Initiative and Referendum Elections

Pursuing Reform Through Initiative and Referendum

The Impact of Campaign Finance on Ballot Issue Politics

The Subject Categories of Direct Democracy

Into the Future We Go

Initiative Petition Signature Requirements*

References

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-159) and index.

ISBN:

1-59332-102-3

OCLC:

614937209