Tax Crusaders and the Politics of Direct Democracy

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135162522
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (351 download)

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Book Synopsis Tax Crusaders and the Politics of Direct Democracy by : Daniel A. Smith

Download or read book Tax Crusaders and the Politics of Direct Democracy written by Daniel A. Smith and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-15 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Daniel A. Smith exposes the truth about the American tax revolt. Contrary to conventional wisdom, recent ballot initiatives to limit state taxes have not been the result of a groundswell of public outrage; rather, they have been carefully orchestrated from the top down by professional tax crusaders: political entrepreneurs with their own mission. These faux populist initiatives--in contrast to genuine grassroots movements--involve minimal citizen participation. Instead, the tax crusaders hire public relations firms and use special interest groups to do the legwork and influence public opinion. Although they successfully tap into the pervasive anti-tax public mood by using populist rhetoric, these organizations serve corporate interests rather than groups of concerned neighbors. The author shows that direct democracy can, ironically, lead to diminished public involvement in government. Smith looks at the key players, following the trail of money and power in three important initiatives: Proposition 13 in California (1978), Proposition 2 1/2 in Massachusetts (1980), and Amendment 1 in Colorado (1992). He provides a thorough history of tax limitation movements in America, showing how direct democracy can be manipulated to subvert the democratic process and frustrate the public good.

Tax Crusaders and the Politics of Direct Democracy

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113516259X
Total Pages : 268 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (351 download)

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Book Synopsis Tax Crusaders and the Politics of Direct Democracy by : Daniel A. Smith

Download or read book Tax Crusaders and the Politics of Direct Democracy written by Daniel A. Smith and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-11-15 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Daniel A. Smith exposes the truth about the American tax revolt. Contrary to conventional wisdom, recent ballot initiatives to limit state taxes have not been the result of a groundswell of public outrage; rather, they have been carefully orchestrated from the top down by professional tax crusaders: political entrepreneurs with their own mission. These faux populist initiatives--in contrast to genuine grassroots movements--involve minimal citizen participation. Instead, the tax crusaders hire public relations firms and use special interest groups to do the legwork and influence public opinion. Although they successfully tap into the pervasive anti-tax public mood by using populist rhetoric, these organizations serve corporate interests rather than groups of concerned neighbors. The author shows that direct democracy can, ironically, lead to diminished public involvement in government. Smith looks at the key players, following the trail of money and power in three important initiatives: Proposition 13 in California (1978), Proposition 2 1/2 in Massachusetts (1980), and Amendment 1 in Colorado (1992). He provides a thorough history of tax limitation movements in America, showing how direct democracy can be manipulated to subvert the democratic process and frustrate the public good.

Direct Democracy and the Courts

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 0521765641
Total Pages : 287 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (217 download)

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Book Synopsis Direct Democracy and the Courts by : Kenneth P. Miller

Download or read book Direct Democracy and the Courts written by Kenneth P. Miller and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2009-08-31 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyzes the conflict between two rising powers - direct democracy and the courts. Many voter-approved initiatives are challenged in court after the election and many are invalidated. The resulting conflict between the people and the courts threatens to produce a popular backlash against judges and raises profound questions about the proper scope of popular sovereignty and judicial power in a constitutional system.

Political Communication in Direct Democratic Campaigns

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 023034321X
Total Pages : 265 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (33 download)

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Book Synopsis Political Communication in Direct Democratic Campaigns by : H. Kriesi

Download or read book Political Communication in Direct Democratic Campaigns written by H. Kriesi and published by Springer. This book was released on 2011-12-02 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Analyzes the communication processes in direct democratic campaigns and their effect on the opinion formation of the voters. Based on a detailed analysis of the politicians' strategies, media coverage and the opinion formation of the public in three campaigns, this book argues that the campaigns are more enlightening than manipulating.

Direct Democracy’s Impact on American Political Institutions

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 0230612024
Total Pages : 207 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (36 download)

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Book Synopsis Direct Democracy’s Impact on American Political Institutions by : S. Bowler

Download or read book Direct Democracy’s Impact on American Political Institutions written by S. Bowler and published by Springer. This book was released on 2008-04-28 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume a series of contributions look at the impact of direct democracy on those processes of representative democracy to raise – and answer – the question: Does direct democracy harm representative democracy?

A Constitution of Direct Democracy

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Author :
Publisher : Legacy Books
ISBN 13 : 0473068559
Total Pages : 217 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (73 download)

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Book Synopsis A Constitution of Direct Democracy by : Michael N Mautner, Ph. D.

Download or read book A Constitution of Direct Democracy written by Michael N Mautner, Ph. D. and published by Legacy Books. This book was released on 2000-01-01 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All people share the basic needs of survival and the social drives embedded in human nature. Survival demands sustenance, safety and procreation; and the social drives demand dignity, justice and freedom. These shared values emerge when the common will is distilled from the diverse wills of people. Where this communal wisdom governs, human dignity will be honored and our survival will be secure. This book describes a system of pure democracy where all major decision are done through referendums and statistically meaningful public opinion polls. The policies are then executed by expert agencies with oversight from public policy panels. The book also describes transition to Direct Democracy through Representatives pledged to "I shall vote in Congress or Parliament according to the instructions of my constituents."

Direct Democratic Choice

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Author :
Publisher : Lexington Books
ISBN 13 : 0739154249
Total Pages : 278 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (391 download)

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Book Synopsis Direct Democratic Choice by : Hanspeter Kriesi

Download or read book Direct Democratic Choice written by Hanspeter Kriesi and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2005-10-17 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Direct Democratic Choice sets out to understand how the citizens actually decide in direct-democratic votes. Author Hanspeter Kriesi has analyzed nearly twenty years of post-election surveys in Switzerland (1981-1999), which he has contextualized according to the various political issues and the relevant arguments provided by the political elites. This book's core argument is that the citizens who participate in direct-democratic votes make competent choices. Kriesi's extensive empirical research shows that the majority of these voters arrive at their decisions on the basis of arguments about the advantages and disadvantages of the available options. The less competent and less interested citizens either do not vote or, if they do, employ heuristic shortcuts allowing them to make approximately reasonable decisions. Kriesi provides strong support for an optimistic view of direct-democratic decision-making but also indicates that this process, wherever it occurs, can be improved by proper institutional design and by appropriate strategies enacted by the political elite.

Educated by Initiative

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Author :
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
ISBN 13 : 0472024256
Total Pages : 248 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (72 download)

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Book Synopsis Educated by Initiative by : Daniel A. Smith

Download or read book Educated by Initiative written by Daniel A. Smith and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2009-11-12 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This body of research not only passes academic muster but is the best guidepost in existence for activists who are trying to use the ballot initiative process for larger policy and political objectives." --Kristina Wilfore, Executive Director, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and Foundation Educated by Initiative moves beyond previous evaluations of public policy to emphasize the educational importance of the initiative process itself. Since a majority of ballots ultimately fail or get overturned by the courts, Smith and Tolbert suggest that the educational consequences of initiative voting may be more important than the outcomes of the ballots themselves. The result is a fascinating and thoroughly-researched book about how direct democracy teaches citizens about politics, voting, civic engagement and the influence of special interests and political parties. Designed to be accessible to anyone interested in the future of American democracy, the book includes boxes (titled "What Matters") that succinctly summarize the authors' data into easily readable analyses. Daniel A. Smith is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida. Caroline J. Tolbert is Associate Professor of Political Science at Kent State University.

The Oxford Handbook of State and Local Government

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Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199579679
Total Pages : 977 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (995 download)

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Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of State and Local Government by : Donald P. Haider-Markel

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of State and Local Government written by Donald P. Haider-Markel and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014-04 with total page 977 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of State and Local Government covers the main areas of study in subnational politics by exploring the central contributions to the comparative study of institutions, behaviour, and policy in the American context.

State Constitutional Politics

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Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 022653295X
Total Pages : 403 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (265 download)

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Book Synopsis State Constitutional Politics by : John Dinan

Download or read book State Constitutional Politics written by John Dinan and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2018-04-06 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the US Constitution came into force in 1789, it has been amended just twenty-seven times, with ten of those amendments coming in the first two years following ratification. By contrast, state constitutions have been completely rewritten on a regular basis, and the current documents have been amended on average 150 times. This is because federal amendments are difficult, so politicians rarely focus on enacting them. Rather, they work to secure favorable congressional statutes or Supreme Court decisions. By contrast, the relative ease of state amendment processes makes them a realistic and regular vehicle for seeking change. With State Constitutional Politics, John Dinan looks at the various occasions in American history when state constitutional amendments have served as instruments of governance. Among other things, amendments have constrained state officials in the way they levy taxes and spend money; enacted policies unattainable through legislation on issues ranging from minimum wage to the regulation of marijuana; and updated understandings of rights, including religious liberty, equal protection, and the right to bear arms. In addition to comprehensively chronicling the ways amendments shape politics in the states, Dinan also assesses the consequences of undertaking changes in governance through amendments rather than legislation or litigation. For various reasons, including the greater stability and legitimacy of changes achieved through the amendment process, he argues that it might be a more desirable way of achieving change.

Politics In The American States: A Comparative Analysis

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Author :
Publisher : CQ Press
ISBN 13 : 1608719987
Total Pages : 593 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (87 download)

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Book Synopsis Politics In The American States: A Comparative Analysis by : Virginia Gray

Download or read book Politics In The American States: A Comparative Analysis written by Virginia Gray and published by CQ Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Tenth Edition brings together the high-quality research expected from this trusted text, with comprehensive and comparative analysis of the fifty U.S. states.

The Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior

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Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press (UK)
ISBN 13 : 0199604517
Total Pages : 796 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (996 download)

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Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior by : Jan E. Leighley

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior written by Jan E. Leighley and published by Oxford University Press (UK). This book was released on 2012-02-16 with total page 796 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbooks of American Politics are the essential guide to the study of American political life in the 21st Century. With engaging contributions from the major figures in the field The Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior provides the key point of reference for anyone working in American Politics today

State of Change

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Publisher : University Press of Colorado
ISBN 13 : 1607320878
Total Pages : 259 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (73 download)

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Book Synopsis State of Change by : Courtenay W. Daum

Download or read book State of Change written by Courtenay W. Daum and published by University Press of Colorado. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Colorado has recently been at the center of major shifts in American politics. Indeed, over the last several decades the political landscape has altered dramatically on both the state and national levels. State of Change traces the political and demographic factors that have transformed Colorado, looking beyond the major shift in the dominant political party from Republican to Democratic to greater long-term implications. The increased use of direct democracy has resulted in the adoption of term limits, major reconstruction of fiscal policy, and many other changes in both statutory and constitutional law. Individual chapters address these changes within a range of contexts--electoral, political, partisan, and institutional--as well as their ramifications. Contributors also address the possible impacts of these changes on the state in the future, concluding that the current state of affairs is fated to be short-lived. State of Change is the most up-to-date book on Colorado politics available and will be of value to undergraduate- and graduate-level students, academics, historians, and anyone involved with or interested in Colorado politics.

Law and Election Politics

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136330178
Total Pages : 317 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (363 download)

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Book Synopsis Law and Election Politics by : Matthew J. Streb

Download or read book Law and Election Politics written by Matthew J. Streb and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though the courts have been extremely active in interpreting the rules of the electoral game, this role is misunderstood and understudied—as, in many cases, are the rules themselves. Law and Election Politics illustrates how election laws and electoral politics are intertwined, analyzing the rules of the game and some of the most important—and most controversial—decisions the courts have made on a variety of election-related subjects. More than a typical law book that summarizes cases, Mathew Streb has assembled an outstanding group of scholars to place electoral laws and the courts‘ rulings on those laws in the context of electoral politics. They comprehensively cover the range of topics important to election law—campaign finance, political parties, campaigning, redistricting, judicial elections, the Internet, voting machines, voter identification, ballot access, and direct democracy. This is an essential resource both for students of the electoral process and scholars of election law and election reform.

Politics in Taiwan

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113469296X
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (346 download)

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Book Synopsis Politics in Taiwan by : Shelley Rigger

Download or read book Politics in Taiwan written by Shelley Rigger and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-05-03 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book shows that Taiwan, unlike other countries, avoided serious economic disruption and social conflict, and arrived at its goal of multi-party competition with little blood shed. Nonetheless, this survey reveals that for those who imagine democracy to be the panacea for every social, economic and political ill, Taiwan's continuing struggles against corruption, isolation and division offer a cautionary lesson. This book is an ideal, one-stop resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students of political science, particuarly those interested in the international politics of China, and the Asia-Pacific.

Reluctant Crusaders

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Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 1400827221
Total Pages : 235 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis Reluctant Crusaders by : Colin Dueck

Download or read book Reluctant Crusaders written by Colin Dueck and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2008-03-17 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Reluctant Crusaders, Colin Dueck examines patterns of change and continuity in American foreign policy strategy by looking at four major turning points: the periods following World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He shows how American cultural assumptions regarding liberal foreign policy goals, together with international pressures, have acted to push and pull U.S. policy in competing directions over time. The result is a book that combines an appreciation for the role of both power and culture in international affairs. The centerpiece of Dueck's book is his discussion of America's "grand strategy"--the identification and promotion of national goals overseas in the face of limited resources and potential resistance. One of the common criticisms of the Bush administration's grand strategy is that it has turned its back on a long-standing tradition of liberal internationalism in foreign affairs. But Dueck argues that these criticisms misinterpret America's liberal internationalist tradition. In reality, Bush's grand strategy since 9/11 has been heavily influenced by traditional American foreign policy assumptions. While liberal internationalists argue that the United States should promote an international system characterized by democratic governments and open markets, Dueck contends, these same internationalists tend to define American interests in broad, expansive, and idealistic terms, without always admitting the necessary costs and risks of such a grand vision. The outcome is often sweeping goals, pursued by disproportionately limited means.

A Government by the People

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Author :
Publisher : Univ of North Carolina Press
ISBN 13 : 0807860182
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (78 download)

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Book Synopsis A Government by the People by : Thomas Goebel

Download or read book A Government by the People written by Thomas Goebel and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2003-04-03 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1898 and 1918, many American states introduced the initiative, referendum, and recall--known collectively as direct democracy. Most interpreters have seen the motives for these reform measures as purely political, but Thomas Goebel demonstrates that the call for direct democracy was deeply rooted in antimonopoly sentiment. Frustrated with the governmental corruption and favoritism that facilitated the rise of monopolies, advocates of direct democracy aimed to check the influence of legislative bodies and directly empower the people to pass laws and abolish trusts. But direct democracy failed to achieve its promises: corporations and trusts continued to flourish, voter turnout rates did not increase, and interest groups grew stronger. By the 1930s, it was clear that direct democracy favored large organizations with the financial and organizational resources to fund increasingly expensive campaigns. Recent years have witnessed a resurgence of direct democracy, particularly in California, where ballot questions and propositions have addressed such volatile issues as gay rights and affirmative action. In this context, Goebel's analysis of direct democracy's history, evolution, and ultimate unsuitability as a grassroots tool is particularly timely.