INITIATIVE. The initiative and the op tional referendum, which originated in Switzer land, were introduced in the United States to obtain for the voters as a whole a more direct participation in legislation and a more imme diate control of the business of government; the movement gained headway rapidly because the opinion prevailed in many sections that State legislatures were no longer representative of the people but were dominated by political rings and moneyed interests. While the refer endum (q.v.) is effective in killing pernicious legislation and acts as a preventive to the enact ment of such laws, the initiative affords a rem edy for a legislature's indifference to public needs and its persistent refusal to pass legisla tion urgently required, if opposed by a corrupt. ing lobby or other hidden influences. The ini tiative has long been in operation in Switzer land, originating in the democracies* of the smaller cantons where any voter may re-: quire that his proposition be submitted to pop ular vote. In the larger cantons a certain pro portion of the voters must favor the initiation of a legislative measure before it can be placed before the electors. In 1891 the Confederation adopted the initiative as a method of proposing constitutional amendments. The method was first introduced in the United States by South Dakota in 1898, but its principal use has been in Oregon which State in 1902 adopted a con stitutional amendment providing that upon peti tion'by at least 8 per cent of the electors who voted for justice of the Supreme Court at the last regular election (which petition must be filed with the Secretary of State four months before a general election), a proposed measure must be submitted to popular vote and must be come law if favored by a majority of those who voted upon the measure. In 1901 Illinois passed a law stipulating that upon petition of 10 per cent of the registered a given pro posal, such as a of public policy') must be submitted to the voters of the whole State.
Delaware and other States have enacted similar laws, which might be termed an initiative" These States were followed by Nevada (1905 and 1912), Montana (1906), Oklahoma (1907), Maine (1908), Missouri (1908), Arkansas (1910), Colorado' (1910), Ari zona (1911), California (1911), Nebraska (1912), Washington (1912), Idaho (1912), Ohio (1912), Michigan (1913), North Dakota (1914), Mississippi (1916), while Utah (1900) and Idaho (1912) provided for it but their legis latures have not passed the necessary enabling acts. New Jersey is experimenting with the system in cities, and Minnesota rejected it in 1916. In some States the practice is limited to the initiation of ordinary legislation but in other States constitutional amendments may be proposed in the same way, while most States have coupled this measure with the referendum, which provides for submission of the proposed legislation to popular vote. The initiative and referendum have taken their places beside direct primaries, the presidential preference pritnarY, the recall of elective officials, woman suffrage, the short ballot, etc., as an effective means of enforcing the popular will as opposed to that of political bosses; but the initiative is some what difficult and cumbersome in its operations and, save in Oregon, has been sparingly em ployed. While in many States a large portion of the laws subjected to popular vote have been defeated, in Oregon nearly 50 per cent so sub mitted have been ratified, including a corrupt practices act, a general direct primary law, a workmen's compensation law, and others of vast importance. (See REFERENDUM RECALL; ELECTIONS; PRIMARY, DIRECT). Consult Beard, C. A.. and Schultz, B. E., (Documents on State-wide Initiative, Referendum and Recall' (New York 1912; gives text of laws of various States); and the bibliography given under the article REFERENDUM.