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initiative
(redirected from Ballot initiative)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.03 sec.

A process of a participatory democracy that empowers the people to propose legislation and to enact or reject the laws at the polls independent of the lawmaking power of the governing body.

The purpose of an initiative, which is a type of election commenced and carried out by the people, is to permit the electorate to resolve questions where their elected representatives fail to do so or refuse to proceed with a change that the public desires.


See also: initial, original, overture, preparatory, rudimentary

INITIATIVE, French law. The name given to the important prerogative given by the charte constitutionelle, art. 16, to the late king to propose through his ministers projects of laws. 1 Toull. n. 39. See Veto.



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California * Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, says the right to bring marriage equality buck to the Golden State will involve knocking on millions of doors by 2010, the year a new ballot initiative will likely reach voters.
Nevada voters twice since 2002 have rejected opportunities to legalize the use of marijuana, but in 2000, 65Êpercent of Nevadans approved a ballot initiative to allow the medical use of marijuana.
The ballot initiative process also fails to capture the deliberative aspects of representative government97 that admittedly may vary based upon the size and sophistication of the local decisionmaking body and the scale of the issue at hand.
 
 
 
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