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For two days in April 2005, the Bill Lane Center brought together an invited group of policy practitioners and scholars to discuss the past, present, and future of direct democracy in the North American West. The conference provided an open forum for conversation about how systems of direct democracy evolved in different Western states and localities, what the implications are of such systems, and where we might go in the future – both in terms of scholarly research and of public education and empowerment. The conference agenda consisted of plenary sessions and two series of concurrent workshops – one set arranged geographically, the other thematically. The focus in all parts of this agenda was on “talking among” rather than “talking to.” In essence, every person in the room acted as a discussant on the topics at hand. The gathering was animated by three guiding principles:

1. Connecting history to policy and politics by exploring the historical drivers of direct democracy in the West, the intraregional variations of these systems, the political consequences of initiatives and referenda, and both the policy “choke points” and political opportunities presented by these systems.

2. Examining direct democracy as a Western phenomenon and its effect on voter behavior, governance, and social and economic equity in Western places.

3. Taking a case method approach that looks not only at California but other states and subregions, brings in comparisons with neighboring countries, and examines not simply process but substance of initiatives and referenda.

One of the products of this conference is this web-based resource for scholars, policy professionals, and the public, that shares key portions of the conference transcript as well as lists additional reading and information sources for people interested in learning more about direct democracy in the North American West. A second product of this conference is the Short-Term Fellowships in Western Politics and Governance program established by the Bill Lane Center in 2005, which in its inaugural two years is designed to spur new research on direct democracy in the region.

CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONFERENCE

FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES