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California has the initiative system that means ultimately the voters can make changes to the system without involving a recalcitrant or corrupt legislature. Fo
by whyenot 10y ago
California has the initiative system that means ultimately the voters can make changes to the system without involving a recalcitrant or corrupt legislature. For better or worse, many of the big changes in government in the state were enacted through this process. For example, proposition 13, which drastically changed property taxes, proposition 14, which moved the state to a "top two" primary system, proposition 11 and 20, which changed redistricting and made it less partisan. etc. etc. Moreover the side with more money for advertising doesn't always win these proposition elections.
- Aloha 10y agoThe initiative system is both what makes the state innovative, and makes it incredibly hard to govern.
- CogitoCogito 10y agoI'm pretty sure the problem would be that the second someone like Grover Norquist came out against it, you'd lose a huge amount of support. The fact that those very same people would love the system if they tried it (as the 99% approval of the system attests) is irrelevant. That said, it would be interesting to see it put to a vote.
- dragonwriter 10y agoCalifornia passes ballot propositions all the time that Norquist (and the often more relevant in California, similarly aligned Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association) oppose.