Rich Braunstein

Braunstein's work challenges the perception that direct democracy is hostage to special interests, professional consultants, and governing elites.

Braunstein's work explores all aspects of initiative and referendum voting, including the subject matter of proposed laws, their potential costs and benefits, ballot issue campaign finance, and the electoral success for each initiative in California, Colorado, and South Dakota. He tests the validity of competing claims that direct democracy is either the bane of democratic publics or their safeguard. His conclusions demonstrate that voters are more sophisticated than many commentators think, that voting behavior reflects a preference for measures with widely accessible benefits, and that inclusive public policy can result from ballot issue elections -- even those funded by organized interests. These findings challenge a perception that special interests, professional consultants, and governing elites dominate direct democracy.