Direct democracy is alive and growing in the form of statewide ballot initiatives. Currently, twenty-four states allow individuals and groups to propose laws for direct voter consideration and tens of millions of dollars flow into the initiative industrial complex each election cycle. This book assesses the health of the initiative process through the insights of the leading initiative scholars, top journalists, and important political consultants from across the country. The book provides a critical and balanced look into a political mechanism that is having a profound influence on American politics.

Contributions by: Shaun Bowler, Bruce E. Cain, Todd Donovan, Ron Faucheux, Elisabeth R. Gerber, Paul Grant, Arthur Lupia, David S. McCuan, Kenneth Mulligan, Peter Schrag, Daniel A. Smith, Sue Tupper