Initiatives And Referendums In The United States
In the politics of the United States, initiative and referendum is a process that allows citizens of many U.S. states to place new legislation on a popular ballot, or place laws recently passed by the legislature on the ballot, and vote on it.
Initiative and referendum, along with recall elections and popular primary elections, is one of the signature reforms of the Progressive Era.
It is written into several state constitutions, particularly in the West.
Read more about Initiatives And Referendums In The United States: History, Types of Initiatives and Referendums, Objections To The System, Proposed Reforms
Famous quotes containing the words united states, initiatives, united and/or states:
“... it is probable that in a fit of generosity the men of the United States would have enfranchised its women en masse; and the government now staggering under the ballots of ignorant, irresponsible men, must have gone down under the additional burden of the votes which would have been thrown upon it, by millions of ignorant, irresponsible women.”
—Jane Grey Swisshelm (1815–1884)
“It is well known, that the best productions of the best human intellects, are generally regarded by those intellects as mere immature freshman exercises, wholly worthless in themselves, except as initiatives for entering the great University of God after death.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“The United States never lost a war or won a conference.”
—Will Rogers (1879–1935)
“Nullification ... means insurrection and war; and the other states have a right to put it down.”
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845)