ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses whether more direct democracy would help soothe the public's anger about the deficiencies of decisionmaking by elected officials. It reviews the state of public opinion concerning the advantages and liabilities of the initiative, referendum, and recall. The chapter briefly examines America's recent experience with the devices to assess their likely impact on the influence of majority opinion on policy; on the power of money, media, and organized interest groups in elections; and on the public's confidence in government. Populism clearly has a punitive impulse, but the popularity of direct democracy also expresses a positive yearning for voice—for the chance to be heard and to participate. The chapter talks about the implications of term limits for policymaking and for resurrecting the ideal of the "citizen-politician" through rotation in office. The size and diversity of California make it a particularly relevant case study for those interested in the idea of direct democracy at the national level of government.
