6 x 9. 252 pgs. 3 drawings, 15 tables, 11 charts. (2004) Paper 978-0-472-06870-8 $25.95S  Available Add to Cart Ebook Formats 978-0-472-02425-4 Available Add to Cart Search this Book's Content About the Book Praise Look Inside Subjects Law / Political Science--American Politics

Educated by Initiative
The Effects of Direct Democracy on Citizens and Political Organizations in the American States

Daniel A. Smith and Caroline J. Tolbert



In recent years, ballot initiatives have changed public policy on issues from birth control to the legalization of gay marriage. Progressive era reformers envisioned direct democracy inspiring and educating the masses. Were they correct?

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About the Book

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.