Direct democracy in the USA usually comes in the form of a vote on single issue in which all registered voters are eligible to take part. These votes can be requested by state legislature or it may be a legal requirement for some issues (e.g. state constitution of taxation). Direct democracy happens in all 50 states – but not at the federal level.

FAST FACTS:

• A proposition is simply an action or policy “proposed” to the legislature or to voters, in a direct popularplebiscite, for their approval. Propositions can take the form of an initiative or a referendum.
• An initiative is a proposal of a new law or constitutional amendment that is placed on the ballot by petition by collecting signatures of a certain number of voters.
• A referendum is a proposal to repeal a law that was previously enacted by the legislature, and that is placed on the ballot through a petition by voters.

Why have propositions and initiatives become popular?

There has been a trend leading to the professionalization of the initiative industry. Media coverage of propositions is often extensive, especially if it is a controversial or contentious issue. Some politicians use these measures as a way to get their ideas in the public domain, or increase support for a particular policy. There are often multiple propositions to consider on election day.

What are the benefits of initiatives and propositions?

Voters benefit from propositions and initiatives because it gives them a direct influence over significant issues, meaning they are not dependent on legislators to take action. However, interest groups (especially wealthy ones) often use initiatives to bypass the legislature and elected officials and target the public directly. Although this may be beneficial to their cause, some issues may be more technical or complex and voters may have a limited understanding of the implications of such a policy, and therefore may be more vulnerable to persuasion. This can often be the case when interest groups can ‘outspend’ an opposing group or campaign through the use of media. Furthermore, elected officials may find policies are imposed on them that are difficult to put into practice, or for which there is limited to no financial support. There is also a risk that a policy approved by the public may contradict existing policies, or disadvantage a particular part of the community, and allow a ‘tyranny of the majority’.

Do initiatives and propositions promote democracy?

Initiatives and propositions could be argued to promote democracy because they:

• expand voters’ involvement with politics
• create a more engaged and aware electorate
• are a safeguard against corrupt politicians
• enable decisions to be made on controversial issues which risk-averse politicians would prefer to avoid

Initiatives and propositions could be argued to undermine democracy because:

• the cost of campaigns means they are mostly promoted by interest groups/corporations who have the necessary funds, and enable them to circumvent elected politicians
• particularly on complex, low-visibility issues big business can frame the debate
• minority groups are likely to be disadvantaged as they won’t be able to mount viable campaigns
• they can lead to incoherence in policy-making, if voters vote for spending increases but not the taxes to pay for them
• they subvert the principle of representative democracy

What issues are most popular for initiatives and propositions?

Between 2000 and 2009, 16.8% of popular initiatives in the USA were focused on healthcare, 9.8% on education, 8.5% on civil or constitutional issues, 7% on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, 5.7% on electoral rules, 5% on criminal justice, 5% on gambling, 4.6% on lobbying and ethics, 4.4% on environmental issues or land use, and 4.3% on labour and employment issues.