Claremont Courier, November 27, 1974

 The drive toward a

national initiative process

          Ralph Nader 

 Ed and Joyce Koupal, the indefatigable leaders of the people's lobby in California, think Americans should rediscover those mechanisms of self-government--the initiative, the recall and the referendum, and they're taking their skilled signature-gathering experience nationwide to build support for a constitutional amendment establishing a national initiative and national recall.

Last Jane the Koupals were instrumental in the passage of the California initiative known as Propos/flea 9, the political reform act providing for state campaign spending limits, disclosure of any potential conflict of interest by public officials, regulation of lobbyists and other "clean government" reforms. In an expression of dismay  over corrupt politics, Proposition 9 was passed overwhelmingly by over 3 million Californians.

Notice that it was the people who directly wrote and passed this state law, not the state legislature. This is what an "initiative" involves -- a process by which, 'through petitions, a prescribed number of people may write proposed laws for direct submission to the voters. Over half a million Californians signed the petit/on that placed Proposition 9 on the ballot.

Twenty-two states have a statewide initiative; 25 states have a statewide referendum (the process by which voters may repeal or approve a bill passed by the state legislature); 14 states have a statewide recall ( the process by which voters may remove or retain an elected official).

These  direct democracy measures were largely passed during the Populist-Progressive period of American history around the turn of and first decade of this century. But they have been dormant in most states, unused and almost forgotten by most citizens. The Koupals want them revived to bring back democratic accountability to the people and make elected officials more accountable be­tween elections.

For almost a decade, the Koupals, operating out of their  small print shop, have perfected techniques of signature gathering. They can marshal 10,000 volunteers in California almost immediately for a petition drive to get a measure on the state ballot.

Now they believe that what has been increasingly good for California should be good for America. They want to test "whether the few, corporate and government organizations which hold so much of the country's power can stand democracy in action -- old-fashioned style.

Their proposed 27th Amendment to the Constitution would read:

"The people of the USA reserve to themselves the power of the initiative. The initiative is the power of the electors to propose laws and to adopt or reject them. An initiative measure may not be submitted to alter or amend the Constitution of 'the US.

 "Every elected officer of the US may be removed from office at any time by the electors meeting the qualifications to vote in their state, through the procedure and in the manner herein provided for, which procedure shall be known as a vote of confidence, and is in addition to any other method of removal provided by law."

One way a democracy withers away is by excessive delegation of citizen rights and powers to remote and unaccountable businesses  and government bureaucracies. To the extent that special interest groups buy, rent, misuse or manipulate elected or appointed government officials, democracy is overridden.

The revival of the initiative, referendum and recall in states which provide for them, the passage of similar measures in other states, and the adoption of a national initiative and recall would reduce citizen apathy and quicken citizen involvement in public matters.

(Interested readers wishing to obtain the Koupals' recent 50-state compendium of these "Tools for Self-Government" may do so by sending $ 5 to the People's Lobby, 3456 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019L