A direct vote by the electorate on a single proposal, law, or
issue.
Stronger
Referendums (or citizen initiatives) have a long history in
American politics and even pre-date the founding of the Republic.
In 1775, Thomas Jefferson proposed the inclusion a
mechanism for referendums in the Virginia state constitution, which
was ultimately rejected. The concept then languished until the rise
of the early Populist movement in the late 19th century.
In 1897, Nebraska became the first
state to allow cities to place initiatives and referendums in their
charters. South Dakota followed suit only a year later, going a
step further by adopting a statewide initiative and popular
referendum process. Today, twenty-six states have initiative or
referendum procedures, and every state has at least one form of
securing a referendum through the state legislative process.
Nevertheless, on the federal level and unlike many other nations,
the United States lacks a national
