Abstract
This article surveys recent studies by political scientists that examine the "educative effects" of ballot measures on political participation and civic engagement, as well as their impact on candidate elections. The article provides legal scholars with empirical evidence that can be used to bolster normative and theoretical claims about the process and politics of direct democracy. The authors conclude by presenting original empirical research on the effects of ballot measures on individual attitudes toward state government and political trust. The article hypothesizes that citizens who are given more opportunities to participate in politics will have more trust in state government. The authors find that citizens- when given the opportunity to participate directly in policy decisions via the initiative process-are generally more likely to hold more favorable opinions of state government, though they find that citizens do not necessarily have greater political trust.
Recommended Citation
Daniel A. Smith, Caroline J. Tolbert & Daniel C. Bowen,
The Educative Effects of Direct Democracy: A Research Primer for Legal Scholars,
78
U. Colo. L. Rev.
1371
(2007).
Available at:
https://scholar.law.colorado.edu/lawreview/vol78/iss4/5