direct democracy

Question 1

what are referendums in the US?

Answer 1

a vote on a bill or state constitutional amendment that has already been passed by the state legislature

Question 2

have the us ever held any referendums?

Answer 2

no

Question 3

what are recall elections?

Answer 3

-used in 19 states
-allow citizens to remove an elected official before the end of their term, by collecting signatures to trigger an early election
-e.g. in 2003 gray davis, a state governor, was recalled as he was blamed for an energy crisis

Question 4

what are initiatives/propositions?

Answer 4

-citizens collect a required number of signatures to trigger a vote on a new bill, or an amendment to the state constitution
-used in 24 states

Question 5

example of a proposition:

Answer 5

proposition 98, from 1988
guaranteed an annual increase in education spending in the state budget

Question 6

what are the advantages of direct democracy?

Answer 6

-increases media attention which can increase participation
-raises awareness of political issues
-issues are put to a direct public vote which helps overcome gridlock
-the people have the opinion to stop laws they don’t like
-they give a stronger mandate than elections because they can gauge the public’s attitude towards a very precise political question

Question 7

what are the disadvantages of direct democracy?

Answer 7

-can lead to tyranny of the minority
-low turnout during direct democracy means they can have a questionable mandate
-allowing the public to initiate their own state constitutional amendments can reduce the stability of government