ABSTRACT

The increased use of direct democracy measures across the United States has brought attention to the individual petitioner however their motivations and goals continue to be an enigma.

Drawing on behavioral, historical and legal analysis to provide a more concrete depiction of these individuals, expert contributors examine the true personalities, motivations and expectations, successes and failures of petitioners in the direct democracy process and how they culminate in policy formation across the United States. Six typologies; the zealot, the victim, the amateur, the lawyer, the professional, and the politician are identified and later applied to four key policy areas, taxation, health, the environment and education.

A lucid contribution to the existing literature on direct democracy and an excellent resource for studying how petitioners are able to influence their communities beyond the ballot box.

chapter |32 pages

2 Success from Amateur to Zealot

A Typology of Initiative Activists 1

chapter |15 pages

4 Petitioners and Policymakers

State Legislator Perceptions of Petitioners and Direct Democracy

chapter |18 pages

7 Education and Amateurs

Changes to Education Finance by Petitioners 1

chapter |26 pages

8 Petitioners in Health-Care Policy

Complex Policy and Simple Decision Mechanisms

chapter |24 pages

10 Green Energy Democracy

A Venue for Zealots and Professionals