Direct Democracy

In the fall of 1911, the new governor, a lawyer from San Francisco, convinced California voters to add the recall, referendum, and initiative to the constitution as a way to stop the political machines. These days, the initiative process is itself a machine, accessible mainly by interests and people with big money. After a century, can California's experiment with direct democracy be saved? And if so, how?

Originally published at Fox & Hounds Daily
Joel Fox, proprietor of this web site, has a suggestion for a constitutional amendment that's at least half-right. The power of referendum should be extended to cover tax increases.

A diverse group of Californians, from across the state, gathered in Torrance in late June for the state’s first statewide deliberative poll.

(Originally published at Fox & Hounds Daily)
Dear Californians, and especially those Californians who play in the initiative process,

You might want to plan a working vacation to Europe soon.

I'm spending the week in Brussels, visiting European Union institutions and talking with people here about a new, EU-wide initiative process that will launch in April 2012.

(originally published at Fox & Hounds Daily)
The good news: reform of the initiative process is finally on the table in California. The bad news: the left and the right are getting reform wrong.

There's a whiff of hypocrisy on both sides.

(originally posted at Fox & Hounds Daily)
This past weekend, more than 300 Californians - chosen at random, as part of an audience shaped to reflect the views and demographics of the state's registered voters - gathered at a Torrance hotel for California's first-ever Deliberative Poll.

We face historic challenges at a time when our state is increasingly thought to be ungovernable. Our outmoded system of government is crippling our ability to deliver basic services to the Californians who create our extraordinary productivity and prosperity – and undercutting our ability to plan and invest for the future. There are plenty of proposals for reform, but the public is often distrustful of those who offer them. It's time to change the process.

(first posted at Fox and Hounds Daily)

(First published at Zocalo Public Square)

(Originally posted at Zocalo Public Square.)
California has long led the nation in trying to involve the public directly in the making of laws – this year marks the 100th anniversary of California’s initiative process. Ever since that signature Progressive Era reform, the state has been the heartland of the nation’s political experimentation.