Discuss the means through which the initiative, referendum, and the recall election enable citizens to actively participate in politics at the local and state level.

What will be an ideal response?


Initiatives allow citizens to force constitutional amendments or laws to be placed on the ballot. To do so requires that they first obtain the requisite number of signatures on petitions. If an initiative receives a majority vote it becomes law, thus allowing citizens to completely bypass state legislatures. Through referendums, bills that have already been passed by state legislatures are submitted to the people for approval. In some states, citizens can call for a referendum on controversial issues and in some cases state legislatures can call for referendums on issues they feel the people should decide directly. Recall elections permit voters to remove elected officials from office prior to the conclusion of their term. As with initiatives, recall elections first require a petition.

Political Science

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Marbury v. Madison significantly expanded the power of the federal judiciary

Indicate whether this statement is true or false?

Political Science

Which of these is someone who is most likely to become a cabinet minister in Great Britain?

a. a lawyer with years of private-sector experience in a single field b. a longtime politician who has displayed loyalty to his or her party c. a successful entrepreneur with political connections to the ruling party d. a longtime advisor of the prime minister who hopes to run for office someday

Political Science

For the Founders, federalism was a device to

A) ?protect personal liberty. B) ?provide efficient local administration. C) ?encourage citizen participation. D) ?guarantee equality. E) ?protect against foreign invasion.

Political Science

Power distribution in the world during the height of the Roman Empire was best described as _____

a. unipolarity b. bipolarity c. multipolarity d. molecular polarity

Political Science