1. Alex Stewart, Zach Neal, and Jason
Szelest

2. Initiatives
 Initiatives were first adopted in South Dakota in 1898.
 Today a total of 24 States have Initiatives with the most
recent being Mississippi in 1992.
 The initiative is the process that allows citizens to bypass
their state legislatures and place proposed laws or
constitutional amendments on the ballot.
Referendums-A process by which a legislative measure is
referred to the state’s voters for final approval or
rejection.
 Two types: 1.) Legislative Referendum: Legislature refers to
voters for their approval. 2.) Popular Referendum: A
measure that appears on a ballot as a result of a voter
petition.
 24 States allow this process.

3. Recalls-allows citizens to remove and replace a public
official before their term in office is up.
 This is only permitted by 18 states.
 A recent case was Gray Davis being recalled in 2003
and being replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger in
California for the office of Governor.
The Initiative and Referendum
Process was really big during the
Progressive Era.

5.  An initiative that was passed on June 6, 1978.
 Prior to Prop. 13 California citizens were losing their
homes due to overwhelming property taxes that they
could not afford.
 Prop. 13 cut California’s property taxes by nearly 57%
and capped taxes at 1% of value.
 Prop 13 started a revolution in California and the U.S.
showing how powerful the Initiative process could be.

6. Pros
 Referendums allow every voter to express their views directly and
can be used to resolve misunderstandings or conflicts
 Initiatives can be a good example of direct democracy and helps
separate the important issues that matter most to the community
 Also initiatives help citizens bring issues to a vote that might not
be addressed in a public forum
Cons
 The results of referendums are unpredictable and can have risks to
the negative sides of a concerned motion
 Referendums can weaken representative government and directly
elected political groups
 Referendums can boost populism; a political strategy based on a
calculated appeal to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people
 Initiatives can be complicated and require good research to make
an educated opinion

7. 1. Voters draft a formal petition in favor of a
certain proposal
2. The petition must collect enough valid
signatures
3. The initiative must then receive enough votes
in favor for it to pass

8.  1.)How many states have initiatives today?
A.) 24 B.) 26 C.)28 D.)0
 2.)How many states have referendums today?
A.) 26 B.) 28 C.)24 D.)0
 3.)How many states allow the recall process?
A.) 18 B.) 20 C.)24 D.)0
 4.)Prop 13 cut California’s property tax by this
much
A.) 50% B.) 55% C.)57% D.)60%
 5.)List a pro of Initiatives and Referendums.