Oct 22, 2025
Maresa Strano, Director of the Political Reform Program at New America, discusses the role and mechanics of ballot initiatives in the 23 states that allow for citizen-led statewide initiatives. These Initiatives are a tool for direct democracy and are an effective mechanism for achieving political and good governance reform. Once established in a state's constitution, ballot initiative-driven legislation is difficult to restrict, and typically, changes are unpopular with voters. Current research suggests an opportunity to expand the ballot initiative process to new states as a means to transcend partisan politics and foster meaningful civic engagement and democratic reform.
We talk about:
- The complexity of creating and driving a successful citizen-initiated ballot measure
- Why initiative topics like raising the minimum wage frequently attract bipartisan support
- Ballot initiatives as a powerful tool for engaging members of a community especially the younger generation
- Identifying states ripe for adopting a ballot initiative process
#NewAmerica #BallotInitiatives #PoliticalReform #DirectDemocracy #CivicEngagement
