When the People Decide: “Episode 7 - The war on the initiative”

Listen to Show Me Integrity CEO Benjamin Singer discuss attacks on the ballot initiative process with Penn State’s McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s podcast “When the People Decide.”

Listen to the podcast episode here.

“State legislatures across the country have taken notice of how ballot initiatives are creating political change. And now they're trying to make it more difficult for citizens to create and pass a ballot measure.

Many state leaders are fighting to restrict access to this tool of democracy—or get rid of ballot initiatives altogether. While challenges to voting rights in states across the country captured the news cycle throughout much of the last two years, those same forces also seek to make it more difficult to engage in direct democracy. 

With 12 states battling restrictive bills to limit citizen-led initiatives, the “democracy reform movement” is stepping up across the country to save them. If legislators are successful in making it harder for people to use ballot initiatives, will politics still be within reach of the everyday citizen? Follow along as these campaigns play out in Idaho and Missouri.”