03998nam 22007094a 450 991081177470332120200520144314.01-281-96592-897866119659210-226-51087-510.7208/9780226510873(CKB)1000000000578844(EBL)408278(OCoLC)309278649(SSID)ssj0000156760(PQKBManifestationID)11150814(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000156760(PQKBWorkID)10130848(PQKB)10374049(StDuBDS)EDZ0000122583(MiAaPQ)EBC408278(DE-B1597)524564(OCoLC)842589096(DE-B1597)9780226510873(Au-PeEL)EBL408278(CaPaEBR)ebr10266056(CaONFJC)MIL196592(OCoLC)646784352(EXLCZ)99100000000057884420040202d2004 uy 0engur|n|---|||||txtccrFor the many or the few[electronic resource] the initiative, public policy, and American democracy /John G. MatsusakaChicago University of Chicago Press20041 online resource (215 p.)American politics and political economyDescription based upon print version of record.0-226-51081-6 Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-194) and index.An American institution -- A blizzard of data -- Spending and taxes, 1970-2000 -- For the many or the few -- Conservative or liberal -- When legislators get out of step -- Key episodes in the twentieth century -- Majority tyranny and the constitution -- Delegation, information, and competition.Direct democracy is alive and well in the United States. Citizens are increasingly using initiatives and referendums to take the law into their own hands, overriding their elected officials to set tax, expenditure, and social policies. John G. Matsusaka's For the Many or the Few provides the first even-handed and historically based treatment of the subject. Drawing upon a century of evidence, Matsusaka argues against the popular belief that initiative measures are influenced by wealthy special interest groups that neglect the majority view. Examining demographic, political, and opinion data, he demonstrates how the initiative process brings about systematic changes in tax and expenditure policies of state and local governments that are generally supported by the citizens. He concludes that, by and large, direct democracy in the form of the initiative process works for the benefit of the many rather than the few. An unprecedented, comprehensive look at the historical, empirical, and theoretical components of how initiatives function within our representative democracy to increase political competition while avoiding the tyranny of the majority, For the Many or the Few is a most timely and definitive work.American politics and political economy.ReferendumUnited StatesDemocracyUnited StatesFiscal policyUnited StatesUnited StatesPolitics and governmentpolicies, political, government, america, united states, usa, democratic, academic, scholarly, research, higher education, citizen, referendum, action, activist, activisim, social studies, law, legal, election, official, tax, expenditure, history, historical, evidence, unbiased, wealth, special interest, influence, demographic, data, state, local.ReferendumDemocracyFiscal policy328.273Matsusaka John G1627354MiAaPQMiAaPQMiAaPQBOOK9910811774703321For the many or the few3963910UNINA