Democracy In California Research Articles

Tax revolts, direct democracy and representation: populist politics in the US and Canada

ABSTRACTThis paper examines ideological foundations of the ‘tax revolt’ theme in American and Canadian conservative politics, through an examination of two of its most notable expressions. One was the use of direct democracy in California in the late 1970s and early 1980s to reduce property taxes. The other was the Reform Party of Canada’s blending of appeals for more extensive direct democracy and lower taxes from the late 1980s through 2000. Each of these relied on a critique of ‘representational failure’ in their respective political orders. The popularity of direct democracy across North America has been aided by the right-populist analogy between a market that enables consumer sovereignty and direct democratic instruments that facilitate end runs around legislatures – the sites of representational failure – to allow unmediated registration of the people’s low tax, anti-statist will. Employing analytical methods and theoretical perspectives developed by Michael Freeden and Michael Saward, I identify shared and distinctive conceptual and strategic/rhetorical elements in the two cases, and suggest ways of developing a ‘hybrid’ approach to the study of populisms.

Deliberative Agenda Setting: Piloting Reform of Direct Democracy in California

Can the people deliberate to set the agenda for direct democracy in large scale states? How might such an institution work? The 2011 California Deliberative Poll piloted a solution to this problem helping to produce proposals that went to the ballot and also to the legislature. The paper reports on how this pilot worked and what it suggests about a possible institution to solve the deliberative agenda setting problem. The legislative proposal passed the legislature but the ballot proposition (Prop 31) failed. However, we show that the proposals actually deliberated on by the people might well have passed if not encumbered by additional elements not deliberated on by the public that drew opposition. The paper ends with an outline of how the process of deliberative agenda setting for the initiative might work, vetting proposals once every two years that could get on the ballot for a greatly reduced cost in signature collections. Adding deliberation to the agenda setting process would allow for a thoughtful and informed public will formation to determine the agenda for direct democracy.

The People versus the Octopus: California Progressives and the Origins of Direct Democracy

Direct democracy, for better or for worse, has become California's most distinctive and emblematic political institution. Initiative, referendum, and recall elections were added to the state constitution in 1911 as part of Governor Hiram Johnson's “progressive” movement, which redeemed the state from control by “The Octopus”, meaning the Southern Pacific Railroad monopoly that had a stranglehold on the state's economy and government. Progressive reformers expected that California voters would use direct democracy to tame the Octopus and to protect themselves against such wealthy special interests in the future. Over time, however, those same interests proved adept at using direct democracy to serve their own interests. This article surveys the origins of direct democracy in California's progressive movement and traces its history up to the 1970s.

Direct Democracy and Legislative Dysfunction: California Politics Since 1978

Critics have condemned California’s legislature as seriously dysfunctional and have blamed direct democracy, especially the initiative. This paper examines the use of direct democracy in California since 1978, focusing on the use of direct democracy by political conservatives to limit revenue and otherwise restrict state government, and on the use of the initiative by other interest groups to protect state-funded programs. These actions have constrained the ability of the legislature to govern and have shifted power from elected legislators to organized interest groups and the governor.

Direct Democracy in California

Direct Democracy in California

California Constitutionalism: Trust in Government and Direct Democracy

This article provides a fresh perspective on direct democracy by focusing on its origins and persistence in California and by employing evidence from historical and social science research. My main thesis is that the origins and persistence of direct democracy has to do with the problem of trust in government. Focusing on the problem of trust establishes a new context for understanding direct democracy. In particular, I argue that the problems of direct democracy cannot be solved without confronting the equally serious problems citizens perceive with representative government. The two are twinned for all practical purposes. In order to show this, I retell in Part I the story of the adoption of direct democracy to highlight the difficult situation faced by California as a new state that featured the large-scale failure of the founders' eighteenth-century representative institutions to cope with the conditions present in late-nineteenth century America. In Part II, I first review the contemporary status of direct democracy in California in relation to the problem of trust in government. I then present a detailed historical explanation of the decline of trust in government in the U.S. by reviewing the most relevant social science evidence. The discussion shows that the problem of trust in government is a national problem extending back to the 1960s and that the use of direct democracy in California and other states will persist until the problems citizens have with representative government are acknowledged and addressed.

Democracy in California: politics and government in the Golden State and post-recall edition

Democracy in California: politics and government in the Golden State and post-recall edition

Introduction: Political Philosophy and the Study of Local Government

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsKen MasugiKen Masugi is the founding director of the Center for Local Government of the Claremont Institute. He is the co-author of Democracy in California and the editor or co-editor of six other volumes on American political thought, including The California Republic (2004).

Democracy in California: politics and government in the Golden State

Chapter 1 Preface to the Third Edition Chapter 2 Introduction Chapter 3 Diversity Chapter 4 A Progressive Constitution Chapter 5 Public Opinion and the Media Chapter 6 Parties and Interest Groups Chapter 7 Campaigns and Elections Chapter 8 The Legislature Chapter 9 The Executive Chapter 10 The Courts Chapter 11 The Budget and Government Finance Chapter 12 Local Government Chapter 13 Epilogue

Minorities and Direct Legislation: Evidence from California Ballot Proposition Elections

Critics argue that direct legislation (initiatives and referendums) allows an electoral majority to undermine the interests and rights of racial and ethnic minorities. We assess this claim by examining outcomes of direct democracy in California since 1978. Our analysis indicates that critics have overstated the detrimental effects of direct democracy. Confirming earlier critiques, we find that racial and ethnic minorities-and in particular Latinos-lose regularly on a small number of racially targeted propositions. However, these racially targeted propositions represent less than 5% of all ballot propositions. When we consider outcomes across all propositions, we find that the majority of Latino, Asian American, and African American voters were on the winning side of the vote. This remains true if we confine our analysis to propositions on which racial and ethnic minorities vote cohesively or to propositions on issues that racial and ethnic minorities say they care most about.

Direct democracy in California: Example or warning?

This study maintains that the analysis of direct democracy in California can suggest more lessons for students of comparative politics than the traditional Swiss example. The development of direct democracy in California is reviewed and the recent expansion in its use is related to the development of an ‘initiatives industry’. As in all aspects of Californian politics, money has a significant impact on the results of referendums. Direct democracy undermines the role of the legislature and encourages politicians to follow popular trends rather than to attempt to exercise political leadership. Various possible reforms of the existing system of direct democracy are reviewed. Although not without its merits, direct democracy in California is more of a warning than an example to be emulated.