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OverviewDirect democracy continues to grow in importance throughout 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 studies a century of budget data from states and cities to provide the first comprehensive, empirical picture of how direct democracy is changing government policies. Based on a century of evidence and the most recent theory, Matsusaka argues against the popular belief that initiatives empower wealthy special interest groups that neglect the majority view. Examining demographic, political, and opinion data, he demonstrates how initiatives led to significant tax and expenditure cuts over the last 30 years and that these cuts were supported by a majority of citizens. He concludes that, by and large, direct democracy in the United States has worked for the benefit of the many rather than the few. “For the Many or the Few is a valuable contribution to our understanding of American democratic institutions and public policy and an important book.”—Journal of Politics “John G. Matsusaka’s valuable, accessible book represents one of the few studies that attempt to test how policy outcomes are affected by the initiative process and to examine whether policies produced by the initiative reflect what the public actually wants.”—Political Science Quarterly Full Product DetailsAuthor: John G. MatsusakaPublisher: The University of Chicago Press Imprint: University of Chicago Press Dimensions: Width: 1.60cm , Height: 0.10cm , Length: 2.30cm Weight: 0.340kg ISBN: 9780226510828ISBN 10: 0226510824 Pages: 214 Publication Date: 01 April 2008 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsReviews"""For the Many or the Few is a valuable contribution to our understanding of American democratic institutions and public policy and an important book."" - Journal of Politics ""John G. Matsusaka's valuable, accessible book represents one of the few studies that attempt to test how policy outcomes are affected by the initiative process and to examine whether policies produced by the initiative reflect what the public actually wants."" - Political Science Quarterly""" For the Many or the Few is a valuable contribution to our understanding of American democratic institutions and public policy and an important book. - Journal of Politics John G. Matsusaka's valuable, accessible book represents one of the few studies that attempt to test how policy outcomes are affected by the initiative process and to examine whether policies produced by the initiative reflect what the public actually wants. - Political Science Quarterly Author InformationJohn G. Matsusaka is a professor in the Marshall School of Business, Gould School of Law, and in the Department of Political Science at the University of Southern California. He is also president of the Initiative Referendum Institute. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |