What do you consider to be the two most important electoral reforms of the past 100 years? Explain your answer.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Varies. Students may refer to initiatives or rule changes that were established as far back as the Progressive era. Major reforms, such as the adoption of direct democracy, have redistributed political power in significant and lasting ways; an argument and supporting evidence (examples or logic) must be presented to support the conclusion that the reform is significant. Direct democracy transformed citizens into lawmakers, for example. Students might embellish their answer with examples of how the initiative process has continued to be a source of power for citizens. Other key reforms have targeted the primary process, which has been reshaped periodically. The state has experienced the closed primary for most of its existence, but has flirted with the blanket primary and recently adopted the open primary in 2010; this allows independent voters to take part, though the effects have not been "earth-shattering" (it was hoped that fewer ideological extremists and more moderates would be elected, but moderates have not been dominating elections). Proposition 11, an initiative that moved redistricting into the hands of an independent commission, led to the creation of maps that were not gerrymandered and led to several elections where incumbents had to run against each other. Term limits also qualify as an electoral reform, as representatives are prevented from running for office after a specified period of time (outcomes are discussed), and have led to an increase in special elections. Another reform is the Help America Vote Act passed by Congress in 2002, which led to the replacement of punch-card voting machines in the state. More recently, there have been other potentially important changes: online voter registration became active just prior to the 2012 November election, and another law clarifies that ballot initiatives will now only be allowed to appear on general or special election ballots, not on primary election ballots.