direct democracy

Cards (11)

  • 2020- 18 measures in 14 states regarding election policy, voter ID etc 
  • 19 measures in 12 states regarding taxation, e.g Arizona voted to increase tax by 3.5% for highest earners, with the extra money to be spent on education 
  • Colorado voted to reduce tax, example of good for short term but bad in the long term due to less public spending  
  • 4 states (Arizona, Montana, NJ and South Dakota) voted for the legalisation of marijuana recreationally  
    Mississippi voted to change its flag  
  • 2020 referendum example: california put forward a measure to replace cash bail with a risk assessment, this was repealed by citizens 
  • 129 state wide examples of referendums and initiatives, lowest since 1980 
    2020 43 initiatives voted on  
    2016 ballot initiative in california over porn actors wearing condoms 
  • Only 24 states allow popular referendums ( put forward by the people, initiatives
    Alaska 10% of electorate signatures needed to trigger an initiative  
    California 5% of electorate 
  • 2022: 6 ballot measures in response to overturning of Roe v Wade, e.g Ohio approved initiative on constitutional right over your reproductive autonomy 
  • 790,000 signatures needed to recall governor of michigan  
    -only 3 governors have ever faced recall elections, last one Scott Walker Wisconsin 2012 
    -Last governor to lose a recall vote was Gray Davis of California, lost in 2003 to Schwarzeneggers  
    -231 recall attempts in 2020, 49 got enough signatures and only 29 officials lost the recall election 
  • Money: 2020 $1.8 bill raised on campaigning over direct democracy measures 
    $220 mill spent on the Californian ballot initiative over whether app based taxi drivers should be classified as employees. 
    NRA backed 2014 measure in Alabama to strengthen 2nd amendment rights  
  • Political game playing: 2018 republicans introducing an initiative that would make it illegal for non-citizens to vote in North Dakota elections, appealing to anti-immigrant instincts to appease right wing voters.