citizen involvement Flashcards
Direct Democracy
A system in which citizens make laws themselves rather than relying on elected officials
Colonial Charter
Legal documents drawn up by the British Crown that spelled how the colonies were to be governed
Constitutional convention
An assembly convened for the express purpose of amending or replacing a constitution
Constitutional Amendment
Proposals to change a constitution, typically enacted by a supermajority of the legislature or through a statewide referendum
Direct Democracy (2)
Processes that give voters a direct vote on a policy matter, usually by means of an initiative, referendum, or recall
Recall
A vote to remove an elected official from public office (qualify if sufficient signatures are collected)
Referendum
A public vote on a statute or a constitutional amendment that has already been considered by a state legislature or local government
Legislative Referendum
Legislation approved by the legislature but referred to the voters for final approval
Popular Referendum
Legislation approved by the legislature that is put to a popular vote as a result of a successful petition for a referendum. Allows voters to have the final decision on legislation written by elected officials
Direct Initative
A measure proposed by a citizen or group. If the proposal qualifies with sufficient signatures, it is voted on directly by the public and becomes law if approved
Indirect Initative
A measure proposed by a citizen or group. If the proposal qualifies, it is directed to the legislature. The legislature can vote to approve the measure as written or refer it to the voters for approval. The legislature may also refer an alternate proposal along with the initial proposal
District Magnitude
the number of representatives in a given legislative district
