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State Policy Activism via Direct Democracy in Response to Federal Partisan Polarization

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  • Kathleen Ferraiolo

Abstract

Partisan gridlock and ideological polarization at the federal level have elicited diverse responses from state and federal officials and have led citizens and groups in some states to respond to federal action or inaction by resorting to direct democratic institutions. A review of prominent ballot initiatives from 2010 to 2016 shows the varied reasons why citizens and groups turn to the initiative process in response to federal developments. Frustrated with the disconnect between public opinion and federal law, citizens in some states have approved initiatives that enact mostly liberal new gun control regulations. Meanwhile, supporters of marijuana legalization and minimum wage increases have relied on initiatives to compensate for lags in legislatures’ responses to evolving public support for these positions. Ballot measures regarding same-sex marriage and abortion policy have also been triggered in part by federal developments. Through case studies of these areas, I also document the broader implications of initiative politics for voter turnout and mobilization, candidate evaluations, and policy agendas.

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  • Kathleen Ferraiolo, 2017. "State Policy Activism via Direct Democracy in Response to Federal Partisan Polarization," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 47(3), pages 378-402.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:publus:v:47:y:2017:i:3:p:378-402.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/publius/pjx032
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Timothy J. Conlan & Paul L. Posner, 2016. "American Federalism in an Era of Partisan Polarization: The Intergovernmental Paradox of Obama’s "New Nationalism"," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 46(3), pages 281-307.
    2. Cynthia J. Bowling & J. Mitchell Pickerill, 2013. "Fragmented Federalism: The State of American Federalism 2012--13," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 43(3), pages 315-346, July.
    3. Robert J. Hume, 2012. "State Courts and Policy Legitimation: An Experimental Study of the Ability of State Courts to Change Opinion," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 42(2), pages 211-233, April.
    4. James H. Read, 2016. "Constitutionalizing the Dispute: Federalism in Hyper-Partisan Times," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 46(3), pages 337-365.
    5. Cynthia J. Bowling & Shanna Rose, 2016. "Introduction to the Special Issue," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 46(3), pages 275-280.
    6. Robyn Hollander & Haig Patapan, 2017. "Morality Policy and Federalism: Innovation, Diffusion and Limits," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 47(1), pages 1-26.
    7. Shanna Rose & Cynthia J. Bowling, 2015. "The State of American Federalism 2014–15: Pathways to Policy in an Era of Party Polarization," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 45(3), pages 351-379.
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    Cited by:

    1. Murray, Gregg R. & Murray, Susan M., 2020. "Following Doctors’ Advice: Explaining the Issuance of Stay-at-Home Orders Related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by U.S. Governors," OSF Preprints 92ay6, Center for Open Science.

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