Ballot initiatives allow citizens to enact meaningful policy changes that otherwise have little chance of being passed by politicians.
The initiative process helps hold government accountable to the people.
Ballot initiatives and referendums create more interest, therefore higher voter turnout, in elections.
Ballot initiatives allow citizens to enact meaningful policy changes that otherwise have little chance of being passed by politicians.Just like legislators, voters can pass bad laws or fail to pass good ones. But historically, voters have a far better record.
States where citizens enjoy initiative and referendum rights not only have lower taxes, they also have more tax and spending decisions made at the local level, rather than statewide. Furthermore, a recent study by scholars at Wellesley College says I&R states have significantly less government waste and better economic performance than do states without I&R.
People are far less swayed by money than politicians are. Multiple studies reveal that citizens tend to favor “grassroots” initiatives over “big money” initiatives, whereas legislatures usually vote on the side of big money. Special interests may be able to pay to play with elected officials, but it’s far more difficult to bribe a majority of the voters of a state. As just one example, that citizens of California enacted term limits despite being outspent by more than a 6 to 1 margin.
Studies have consistently shown that entrusting citizens with the ballot initiative process results in more people voting.
Initiatives foster competition for legislators. Allowing citizens to challenge bad laws or introduce new laws puts a much-needed check on the monopoly power of state legislatures. In this way, the initiative helps hold government accountable to the people.