Direct Legislation

Announcements

05/03/05: The sixth quiz is scheduled for May 05 (at the beginning of class). It will cover Matsusaka, the policy effects of the initiative process, and the material on interest groups from April 21.

04/18/05: The fifth quiz is scheduled for April 21 (at the beginning of class). It will cover minorities, Smith and Tolbert and interest groups.

03/29/05: Here is the information for your paper.

03/22/05: The fourth quiz is scheduled for March 31 (at the beginning of class). It will cover everything since (and including) Goebel.

03/21/05: Class is cancelled on April 7th for the Midwest Political Science Association Conference.

02/22/05: The third quiz is scheduled for March 1 (at the beginning of class).

02/07/05: The second quiz is scheduled for February 10 (at the beginning of class).

01/25/05: The first quiz is scheduled for February 3 (at the beginning of class).

01/21/05: Please sign up for your discussion leader topics. The following topics still have open slots: Who Uses I&R, Voter Participation, Minorities, Policy Consequences.

01/21/05: Class is cancelled on January 27th.

01/14/05: Sign up for the class email list!

Assignments

Assignment #2: Type up a 350-500 word response to the Chavez book. You should not summarize the book, but rather I want you to explore some issue that is addressed in the book. This can be an issue that appeals to you personally, one that links to topics addressed in previous lectures, or one that relates to the initiative process in general. A good summary will demonstrate that you can link concepts from the course to the reading material. Your write-up is due at the beginning of your assigned discussion session.

Assignment #3: Analysis of campaign finance information for California initiatives. Go to the California Secretary of State's Campaign Finance web page and browse to one of the initiatives. For each of the committees listed, note whether they support or oppose the measure and then download the list of all contributions received and expenditures made (click on Download -> MS Excel) for one supporting and one opposition committee. Write a 350-500 word summary describing the measure, the identity of the supporters and opponents, the kinds of people/groups contributing to each side and the kinds of expenditures made by each side. In addition to turning in your summary and discussing it in class on March 3, you must email me all of the excel files (Make sure to include the Proposition number and committee name in the title).

Assignment #4: Type up a 350-500 word response to the Goebel book.

Assignment #5: Type up a 350-500 word response to the Smith and Tolbert book.

• Initiative and Referendum Institute
• Ballot Watch
• 2002 initiatives and referendums
• ballotfunding.org
• NCSL Initiative and Referendum Task Force Report
• Links to Secretaries of State homepages.
• State web pages covering initiative process: Alaska (scroll to petitions); Arizona; Arkansas; California; Colorado; Florida; Idaho; Illinois; Maine; Massachusetts; Michigan; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana;
• UC Hastings California Ballot Initiative Database.

• Total number of initiatives proposed in the United States, 1904-2000.
• Passage rate of initiatives proposed in the United States, 1904-2000.
• Initiative Use by subject area, 1898-2000. (Source: Braunstein 2005).
• Initiative Use by subject area and by decade, 1898-2000.
• Change in initiative topics in Colorado after 1988. (Source: Braunstein 2005).
• Overview of state initiative regulations from the I&R Institute.
• Excerpts from lecture notes (tables, definitions). California voter guide from 2004 general election.

1. I&R Institute Fact Sheet: What is I&R?
2. I&R Institute Fact Sheet: I&R History in U.S.
3. Overview of I&R in U.S.

1. Ellis, Chapters 1-2.

Discussion Leaders: Hollinrake, Holm, Kohn, Rutledge, Walker.
1. Ellis, Chapter 3.
2. Lowenstein, Daniel Hays and Robert M. Stern. 1989. "The First Amendment and Paid Initiative Petition Circulators: A Dissenting View and a Proposal." Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly 17: 175-22. (Download)
   Not for discussion:
3. Boehmke, Frederick J. and R. Michael Alvarez. 2004a. "Where the Good Signatures Are: Variation in the Number and Validity of Initiative Petition Signatures Across California Counties." Typescript, University of Iowa. (Download)

Discussion Leaders: Cornelius, Crook, Koenen, Fulton, Phillips
1. Ellis, Chapter 4.
2. Sabato, Ernst and Larson, Chapter 1.
   Not for discussion, optional:
3. Boehmke, Frederick J. 2003. "Sources of Variation in Statewide Use of the Initiative Process: The Role of Interest Group Populations." (Download)

• Tuesday, February 15: Last names starting with B-K only
• Thursday, February 17: Last names starting with L-W only.

Discussion Leaders: Dillman, Heneke, Kurtz, Piper, Redden
1. Sabato, Ernst and Larson, Chapters 3-4.
2. Magleby, David B. and Kelly D. Patterson. 1998. "Consultants and Direct Democracy." PS: Politics and Science 31:160-165. (Download)

1. Tuesday, March 08: Last names starting with L-W only.
2. Thursday, March 10: Last names starting with B-K only.

Discussion Leaders: Broyles, Burke, Lueck, Ough, Pomeranz
1. Sabato, Ernst and Larson, Chapter 2 (Lupia section only).
2. Mendehlson and Parkin, Chapter 9. (Download)
3. Cronin, Chapter 4. (Download)
4. Bowler and Donovan, EJPR. (Download)

Discussion Leaders: Clark, Groen, Hoyt, Hyde, Sackett
1. Bowler, Shaun and Todd Donovan. 2002. "Democracy, Institutions and Attitudes about Citizen Influence on Government." British Journal of Political Science 32: 371-390. (Download)
2. Smith, Mark A. 2001. "The Contingent Effects of Ballot Initiatives and Candidate Races on Turnout." American Journal of Political Science 45(3): 700-706. (Download)

1. Ellis, Chapter 6.

Discussion Leaders: Elliot, Lipnick, Manternach, Roth, Rule
1. Hajnal and Louch, pp. 1-62. (Download)

1. Tuesday, April 12: First names starting with A-J only.
2. Thursday, April 14: First names starting with K-Z only.

Discussion Leaders: Ehlinger, Miller, Shields, Wilson
1. Boehmke. 2005. The Indirect Effect of Direct Legislation on Interest Groups. Chapter 5. (Download)
2. Alexander and Nownes. 2004. "Organized Interests and Direct Democracy in the States." Paper presented at the 2004 State Politics and Policy Conference. (Download)
   Optional:
3. Boehmke, Frederick J. 2002. "The Effect of Direct Democracy on the Size and Diversity of State Interest Group Populations." The Journal of Politics: 64: 827-844. (Download)

1. Tuesday, April 26: First names starting with K-Z only.
2. Thursday, April 28: First names starting with A-J only.

Discussion Leaders: Carenza, Emmert, Schiller, Sherman
1. Smith, Daniel A. 2001. "Homeward Bound?: Micro-Level Legislative Responsiveness to Ballot Initiatives." State Politics and Policy Quarterly 1(1): 50-61. (Download)
2. Edward Lascher, Michael Hagen, and Steven Rochlin. 1996. "Gun Behind the Door? Ballot Initiatives, State Policies and Public Opinion." Journal of Politics 58: 760-75. (Download)