Deck 3: Direct Democracy

Question 1

If a proposition is adopted by the voters,how can it later be changed or amended?

A)only by a vote of the people (through another proposition)
B)either by a vote of the people or through the regular lawmaking process
C)only through the regular lawmaking process
D)only by the courts

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Thanks to Proposition 13 (in 1978),a ______ vote is required to raise taxes in this state.

A)simple majority vote (50% + 1)
B)55% vote
C)two-thirds vote
D)unanimous vote

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Citizens in California may propose laws via the initiative process at what level of government?

A)federal,state,county,city
B)state,county,city
C)county and city only
D)city only

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Citizens in California may propose laws via the initiative process ______.

A)at the local,county,and state levels
B)only at the state level
C)at the local level only
D)at the state level,but the legislature must review their proposals first and may reject them

Question 5

Most proposed ballot measures fail because ______.

A)not enough money is raised by the proponents to raise awareness about it
B)the majority of initiatives deal with raising taxes,and people never vote to raise their taxes
C)the legislature adopts them before the election is held,therefore eliminating the need for people to vote on them
D)the measure's proponents don't gather enough valid signatures to qualify it for the ballot

Question 6

The term "hybrid government" refers to ______.

A)a mixture of old laws with new initiatives
B)an efficient government
C)a blending of direct democracy with representative democracy
D)a group of elected officials who represent every manner of ethnicity and race,reflecting the state's hyperdiversity

Question 7

An alternative to the state's current direct initiative process is the indirect initiative,which would enable ______.

A)the courts to review the measure for constitutionality
B)the attorney general to incorporate it into state law
C)the legislature to make amendments to the proposed law or consider adopting it
D)Congress members to create a federal law based on the proposed initiative

Question 8

How long do petitioners have to collect signatures in order to qualify initiatives for the ballot?

A)1 month (30 days)
B)3 months (90 days)
C)6 months (180 days)
D)1 year (365 days)

Question 9

The number of signatures needed to qualify an initiative for the ballot is based on ______.

A)the total number of registered voters at the point in time when signatures are validated
B)an estimate of eligible voters in the state
C)a percentage of all votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial election
D)the number of voters who turned out for the last election

Question 10

Historically,have Californians used the initiative process more often,less often,or at about the same rate as other states with the initiative process?

A)more often
B)less often
C)about the same

Question 11

Which office certifies ballot measures and assigns an official number to propositions?

A)Attorney General
B)Governor
C)State Auditor
D)Secretary of State

Question 12

What is the most appropriate way to characterize California's political system?

A)direct democracy
B)representative democracy
C)hybrid democracy
D)confederation

Question 13

The legislature can refer constitutional amendments,bond measures,and laws for the people to approve or disapprove at election time.These measures are known as ______.

A)statutes
B)primary bills
C)legislatively referred measures
D)none of these

Question 14

At which point do most initiatives fail?

A)during the preparation stage following the public review and comment period
B)during the qualification stage when signatures are gathered and then verified
C)before the election,because legislators may adopt the measure and remove it from the ballot
D)postelection,when courts invalidate measures

Question 15

After an initiative is drafted,what must the author of the ballot measure do in order to get a title and summary?

A)Submit the measure to the Attorney General's office,pay a fee of $2,000,and wait until the 30-day public comment period has ended.
B)Wait for the legislature to hold public hearings about it.
C)Secure an opinion from the state supreme court that it's constitutional.
D)Submit % of the signatures that will ultimately be needed to qualify the measure for the ballot.

Question 16

After a ballot measure has been submitted to the Attorney General,the only point at which the language of a proposed measure can be changed is ______.

A)during a 5-day window after the month-long public review period
B)at any point until the election ballot is printed
C)never;if it qualifies,the measure that is initially submitted with $2,000 must later be printed exactly the same way on the election ballot
D)after the legislature holds a public hearing about it

Question 17

Does California law require the state Supreme Court to review initiatives before signatures can be gathered?

A)Yes
B)No

Question 18

Which political party was able to get direct democracy embedded into California's constitution over a century ago?

A)Republicans led by President Theodore Roosevelt.
B)Progressives led by Governor Hiram Johnson.
C)Democrats led by Assembly Speaker Jess Unruh.
D)No party;it was a nonpartisan effort led by lobbyist Artie Samish.

Question 19

Do all U.S.states offer some form of the initiative process?

A)Yes
B)No

Question 20

Does California law require at least one state judge to review initiatives before proponents can gather signatures?

A)Yes
B)No

Question 21

Citizen initiatives may be included on the ballot in which types of elections?

A)primary elections only
B)primaries and general elections only
C)general elections and special elections only
D)special elections only

Question 22

Which of the following must happen in order for an initiative to qualify for the ballot?

A)A fee of $5,000 must be paid to the Secretary of State.
B)The state Supreme Court must declare that it is constitutional or not.
C)The Governor must sign it.
D)The Secretary of State must verify that enough valid signatures have been collected.

Question 23

If two similar measures qualify for the ballot and both are approved,which measure takes effect?

A)the measure that is listed first on the ballot,because it qualified first
B)neither,because they cancel each other out
C)the measure that receives more votes
D)the state supreme court possesses the authority to choose the winner

Question 24

What kinds of initiatives tend to attract the most spending by opponents and proponents?

A)immigration issues
B)economic reform
C)political reform
D)issues that affect industry/business

Question 25

Which of the following government officials (or offices)are directly involved qualifying initiatives?

A)Governor,Supreme Court Chief Justice,Secretary of State,Leaders of the Legislature
B)Supreme Court Chief Justice,Secretary of State
C)Secretary of State,Speaker of the Assembly,Governor
D)Attorney General,Secretary of State

Question 26

Historically,which elected officials have been subjected to the most recalls in California?

A)governors
B)county supervisors
C)state legislators
D)school board members

Question 27

The most common form of the referendum in California is ______.

A)the petition referendum
B)statutory initiatives
C)the recall of local officials
D)a bond measure

Question 28

Which of these officials in California may be recalled?

A)only local officials
B)local officials and state officials
C)local,state,and federal officials
D)only federal officials

Question 29

Are local initiatives more likely or less likely to be approved by voters than state initiatives?

A)more likely
B)less likely
C)neither more nor less likely (about the same)

Question 30

The initiatives that are usually brought to voters at the local level most often pertain to ______.

A)civil rights and civil liberties
B)public morality and transportation
C)health,welfare,housing,criminal justice,housing
D)funding for education,the political process,taxes,and land use

Question 31

A ______ vote is needed to pass initiatives;a ______ vote is needed to pass bond measures.

A)supermajority;majority
B)supermajority;supermajority
C)simple majority;supermajority
D)majority;majority

Question 32

If initiatives are on the ballot,then on election day every voting Californian is a lawmaker.

Question 33

How does the initiative process at the local level differ from the process at the state level?

A)the volume of signatures required is higher at the local level.
B)city councils or boards of supervisors may vote to adopt a local initiative if enough signatures have been gathered
C)generally the paperwork and signature gathering processes are far more expensive
D)local initiatives can't be overturned by the courts

Question 34

In California,citizens can recall elected officials ______.

A)for any reason
B)only for criminal convictions
C)only after they have been accused of a serious crime,or indicted for wrongdoing
D)only if the election results are determined to be corrupt or compromised

Question 35

How many votes are needed to pass an initiative or approve a recall?

A)simple majority (50%+1)
B)plurality (most votes)
C)two-thirds supermajority
D)three-fifths supermajority

Question 36

Compared to statewide ballot measures,local ballot measures ______.

A)have a much higher rate of passage
B)are adopted at about the same rate as statewide propositions
C)have a much lower rate of passage

Question 37

Citizens wishing to recall a governor must collect valid signatures equal to ______ of the votes cast in the previous gubernatorial election,or about ______ signatures.

A)8%;500,000
B)12%;900,000
C)25%;2 million
D)30%;2.7 million

Question 38

An initiative is a type of ballot measure,not a bill.

Question 39

The legislature may place initiatives,constitutional amendments,or bonds on ______.

A)any election ballot,including primary,general,or special elections
B)primary election ballots only
C)general election ballots only
D)no ballot;the process is reserved for citizens only

Question 40

State law requires a vote of the people to borrow funds in amounts exceeding ______.

A)$100,000
B)$300,000
C)$1,000,000
D)$3,000,000,000

Question 41

Direct democracy exists in all California counties and municipalities,meaning that citizens can write laws,and with enough signatures,their measure can be put to a vote of the people locally,either in cities or counties.

Question 42

All states in the United States offer some form of the initiative process.

Question 43

In order to qualify an initiative for the ballot,usually the signature gatherers must collect about twice the number needed because so many are found to be invalid.

Question 44

Initiatives and propositions are the same thing.

Question 45

The legislature can refer measures to the ballot for the people to approve or disapprove.

Question 46

Once a title and summary have been assigned to a proposed law or ballot proposition,the text of law can be changed if mistakes are discovered.

Question 47

Historically,Californians have rejected far more initiatives than they have approved.

Question 48

California is the only state with the direct initiative;in all other initiative states,only the indirect process is allowed.

Question 49

Small donors,defined as those who donate $1,000 or less,account for just 2% of all contributions to ballot measure campaigns.

Question 50

The signatures of any adult citizen,whether or not they are registered to vote in California,are considered valid signatures.

Question 51

In the United States,no state on the east coast allows citizens to vote on laws without the legislature's prior involvement.

Question 52

In the United States,most of the states that allow citizen initiatives are in the West or Midwest.

Question 53

Not only can California voters change public policy through the ballot box,but also they can change the rules for how state officials conduct their business.

Question 54

More signatures are needed to qualify a constitutional amendment for the ballot than are needed for regular,statutory initiatives.

Question 55

California law requires the legislature to approve all initiatives before they reach the ballot.

Question 56

The California constitution allows the legislature to correct any mistakes or make changes to all initiatives before they reach the ballot.

Question 57

If Hiram Johnson were alive today,he would be proud of the fact that most ballot measure campaigns are funded by legions of small donors,or those who donate anywhere from $5 to $1,000.

Question 58

Californians use the initiative process more often than residents in other states that have an initiative process.

Question 59

Ballot measures are permitted only at the state level,not at the local level.

Question 60

For a signature on a ballot measure petition to be valid,the person must be a registered voter in the county where he or she signs the petition.

Question 61

Only city council members or mayors may propose laws or ordinances for California cities,towns,or counties.

Question 62

Californians may recall any elected official if they gather the requisite number of valid signatures.

Question 63

A ballot measure at the local level can be an initiative written by a citizen or group of citizens.

Question 64

A two-thirds vote is required to pass any kind of bond in California.

Question 65

Contributions to ballot initiative campaigns are capped at $5,000;no person or entity may donate more than that amount to any one ballot measure in an election cycle.

Question 66

Citizens wishing to recall a governor should collect over 1 million valid signatures,because many signatures might be invalidated later in the process.

Question 67

Referendums (or referenda)are rare in California.

Question 68

Although Californians may recall their state officials,they may not recall their U.S.House representative or U.S.Senators.

Question 69

Fewer signatures are needed to qualify a Constitutional amendment for the ballot than are needed for regular,statutory initiatives.

Question 70

In California,citizens can recall officials for any reason.

Question 71

Citizens may propose laws for California cities,towns,or counties.

Question 72

Local ballot measures generally have a high rate of passage--much higher than statewide ballot measures.

Question 73

All U.S.states allow their citizens to recall elected officials who commit crimes.

Question 74

Regular,general obligation bond measures require a supermajority of two thirds to pass;however,there is a lower vote threshold for school bonds to pass (55%).

Question 75

Voters must approve bonds (state borrowing)totaling $300,000 or more.

Question 76

If voters disapprove of an existing law,no matter how long the law has been in effect,then they can try to collect enough signatures to prompt a referendum on it.

Question 77

There are no limits on contributions to ballot initiative campaigns;contributions may be in any dollar amount,and the typical donation is in the $1 million range.

Question 78

Once a law goes into effect,voters only have 3 months (90 days)to initiate a petition to hold a referendum on it.

Question 79

The process for passing an initiative at the local level is similar to that at the state level,in that a certain number of signatures must be gathered and verified by a local elections official.

Question 80

Because of the interest that must be repaid,a bond typically can cost about twice the face amount that is borrowed.Thus,a $5 billion bond may actually cost taxpayers almost twice that amount by the time it is paid off.