Initiatives: True Democracy or Bad Lawmaking?

Introduction

Critics say the initiative process is not working the way it was meant to. Ballots are cluttered, big-spending special interests manipulate the voters, and the art of compromise gets short shrift. Supporters concede there may be problems, but they say that overall the system of direct democracy provides citizens with an excellent way to keep a check on powerful government. Both sides talk about reform, but the reforms themselves may introduce new difficulties.

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