It is becoming common in many states: the opportunity to reclaim
government from politicians by simply signing a petition to put an
initiative on the ballot and then voting for it. Isn't this what
America ought to be about? Proposition 13 in California's 1978
election paved the way; the past decade saw more than 450 such
actions; now in many states direct legislation dominates the
political agenda and defines political-and public-opinion.
While this may appear to be democracy in action, Richard Ellis
warns us that the initiative process may be putting democracy at
risk. In Democratic Delusions he offers a critical analysis of the
statewide initiative process in the United States, challenging
readers to look beyond populist rhetoric and face political
reality.
Through engaging prose and illuminating (and often amusing)
anecdotes, Ellis shows readers the "dark side" of direct
democracy-specifically the undemocratic consequences that result
from relying too heavily on the initiative process. He provides
historic context to the development of initiatives-from their
Populist and Progress roots to their accelerated use in recent
decades-and shows the differences between initiative processes in
the states that use them. Most important, while acknowledging the
positive contribution of initiatives, Ellis shows that there are
reasons to use them carefully and sparingly: ill-considered
initiatives can subvert normal legislative checks and balances,
undermine the deliberative process, and even threaten the rights of
minority groups through state-sanctioned measures.
Today's initiative process, Ellis warns, is dominated not by
ordinary citizens but by politicians, perennial activists, wealthy
interests, and well-oiled machines. Deliberately misleading
language on the ballot confuses voters and influences election
results. And because many initiatives are challenged in the courts,
these ostensibly democratic procedures have now put legislation in
the hands of the judiciary. Throughout his book he cites examples
drawn from states in which initiatives are used
intensively--Oregon, California, Colorado, Washington, and
Arizona-as well as others in which their use has increased in
recent years.
Undoing mistakes enacted by initiative can be more difficult
than correcting errors of legislatures. As voters prepare to
consider the host of initiatives that will be offered in the 2002
elections, this book can help put those efforts in a clearer light.
"Democratic Delusions" urges moderation, attempting to teach
citizens to be at least as skeptical of the initiative process as
they are of the legislative process-and to appreciate the enduring
value of the representative institutions they seek to
circumvent.
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