Book
The indirect effect of direct legislation: how institutions shape interest group systems
Ohio State University Press
2005
Abstract
Frederick J. Boehmke’s book makes explicit the many consequences—intended and unintended—of having direct legislation possible in a state. Many studies of the initiative process argue that it is a flawed process that rewards wealthy interests. While evidence to support this conclusion is often drawn from a number of high-profile, high-expenditure initiative campaigns, ballot campaigns are merely one consequence of the initiative process. The ability to propose legislation directly to the people fundamentally changes the process through which citizens are represented by organized interest groups, benefiting typically underrepresented interests. To demonstrate this, the author models the incentives that the initiative process creates for interests to organize and for how they communicate their preferences to policy makers. Interests that represent a broader range of the public are found to gain the most from the option to propose initiatives, implying that the set of organized interests in initiative states should reflect this advantage. Ironically, an effect of direct legislation is to potentially increase the effectiveness of special interest lobbying in state legislatures—in a sense, the opposite of the direct control that gives direct legislation its theoretical appeal. Yet, the clear effect is one of empowering voices that traditionally had very little effect in the legislative process. If greater representation is the goal of direct legislation, it is a clear success, even though that success does not really come in the act of ballot initiatives itself.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- The indirect effect of direct legislation: how institutions shape interest group systems
- Creators
- Frederick J Boehmke - University of Iowa, Center for Social Science Innovation
- Resource Type
- Book
- Table of contents
- Introduction -- Modeling the initiative process -- Interest group mobilizations -- State policy adoptions -- Interest group resources and lobbying tactics -- Interest group lobbying strategies -- Interest groups and the initiative process.; Appendix B Appendix C Notes Works Cited Index Appendix A 7. Interest Groups and the Initiative Process 6. Interest Group Lobbying Strategies 5. Interest Group Resources and Lobbying Tactics 4. State Policy Adoptions 3. Interest Group Mobilizations 2. Modeling the Initiative Process 1. Introduction Acknowledgments List of Tables List of Figures Table of Contents Title Page, Copyright Page Cover
- Publisher
- Ohio State University Press; Columbus
- ISBN
- 0814209963; 9780814209967; 9780814272657; 0814272657
- eISBN
- 9780814272657; 0814272657
- Number of pages
- xiii, 217 pages
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2005
- Academic Unit
- Political Science; Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9983903692902771
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