In a survey of over 1,000 Californians, we found substantial divides in public opinion on issues related to constitutional change. Beyond partisan differences, there are racial and ethnic divides as well as unexpected differences between counties. Latinos and Asian-Americans (the growing "new"...

Der Band legt eine umfassende Analyse der öffentlichen Kommunikation im Kontext einer direktdemokratischen Volksabstimmung vor. Gegenstand der Fallstudie ist die heftig umstrittene Abänderung der Landesverfassung des Fürstentums Liechtenstein im Jahr 2003. Sie ging auf die Initiative des...

This paper explores for economists how the school-finance litigation movement, which began with Serrano v. Priest in 1971, ought to be characterized in economic models. Its primary message is that this has become a national movement, not one confined to individual states. Economists should be...

This paper explores for economists how the school-finance litigation movement, which began with Serrano v. Priest in 1971, ought to be characterized in economic models. Its primary message is that this has become a national movement, not one confined to individual states. Economists should be...

Direct democracy is extraordinarily popular and has become a pervasive policymaking tool at the state and local level. Repeated surveys demonstrate that Americans strongly approve of allowing people to vote on citizen-proposed laws, a method currently allowed in about half the states and in many...

Direct democracy, particularly the initiative process, has become an important feature of the political landscape and influences the national agenda. California candidates for governor regularly sponsor and endorse measures that appear on the ballot with their candidacies. This article combines...

Through direct democracy, California voters pass local and state initiative measures, assuming the role of the legislature and many times mandating how government should act or spend funds. But are voters really getting what they want through the initiative process? Initiatives known as...

Political science research has long established a list of factors associated with higher levels of political knowledge. Among these are: education, income, political attentiveness, voter participation, and age. This analysis, using questions from California Field Polls taken in 2005 and 2009,...