Statutes and voter initiatives
Developing proposed statutory changes and voter initiatives, together with their rationale and practical implications.
Some project findings call for changes to law or public decision-making. INITIATIVE’s scope includes developing statutory proposals and voter initiatives, drafting their language and explaining the choices they present.
Statutory proposals
A statutory proposal brings together proposed language, an explanation of the problem, and an account of how the change would interact with existing institutions. It considers definitions, authority, procedures, oversight and implementation.
Supporting analysis examines alternative approaches, institutional incentives, administrative demands and effects on the people who would use or be governed by the proposed law.
Voter initiatives
Work on voter initiatives includes developing a proposal’s substance, drafting proposed measure language and preparing clear explanations for public discussion. Legal, political science and economic analysis help identify the proposal’s choices and likely tradeoffs.
A clear record of development
The record of a proposal should show its authorship, revisions, evidence and current stage. Draft proposals, filed measures, ballot measures and enacted changes are identified separately so readers can understand what has—and has not—happened.