The National Initiative Proposal: A Preliminary Analysis

I. Introduction II. The Initiative’s Potential Contribution to the Political Structure of the Federal Government … A. Democratic Theory and the Federal Government ... B. The Unrepresentative Tendencies of the Federal Government ... 1. Public Opinion ... 2. The Effect of Organized Interest Lobbying ... 3. The Legislative Process in Operation ... 4. Congress: The Electoral Connection ... 5. The Nature of Congressional Unrepresentativeness ... C. The Potential Role of a National Initiative Process III. The Experience in the States ... A. An Examination of the Results of Ballot Measures ... B. The American Voter Revisited ... C. The Effect of Campaign Expenditures on Initiative Elections ... D. From the State to the Federal Level—A Note of Caution IV. Senate Joint Resolution 67—Some Suggestions V. A Concluding Thought Appendix: Senate Joint Resolution 67