Citizens Initiatives

August 7th, 2009

The story:

Maine voters will make decisions at the polls this November on issues ranging from same-sex marriage to medical marijuana to taxes.  One of the effects of deciding on issues in this way is that  it negates the current system of government, which relies on representative democracy and a regular election process.

The hook:

One of the arguments against using referendums is that it can fail to take into account the deliberate process elected officials engage in when deciding complex issues.  UMaine political science professor Amy Fried says the U.S system of government is meant to enable careful consideration of policy matters by legislators and chief executives.

She uses California as an example where a number of citizen-enacted constitutional amendments have made it virtually impossible to gets bills passed and make necessary changes.

“One of the results of the referendum process is that California has gone from a state with an outstanding education system to one where school districts and institutions of higher education are struggling,” says Fried.

Citizen initiatives are not new to Maine. In 1917, the state legislature passed a women’s suffrage law by a wide margin, only to see it overturned at the polls.

Contact information:

Professor Amy Fried can be reached at 581-3583 or via e-mail at amy.fried@umit.maine.edu