Direct Legislation: Voting on Ballot Propositions in the United States

In the last decade, and especially since the passage of California's Proposition 13, direct voter legislation has become an increasingly important part of American politics. Voters have faced referendums to cut taxes, freeze nuclear weapons, restrict homosexual rights, limit government spending, stop the development of nuclear power, and protect the victims of crime. If present trends continue, the referendum will become a more important factor in American politics of the 1980s than ever be...