Direct Legislation: Determinants of Legislator Support for Voter Initiatives

Abstract

This article examines the determinants of legislator support for a Kansas constitu tional amendment to authorize the use of voter initiatives. Although mixed, the results suggest that Kansas House members were more likely to vote for the amendment the greater their difficulty in representing their constituents' interests. Difficulty was, in part, proxied by constituent heterogeneity. Although it appears special interest money came into play, there is no evidence that representatives voted to protectfund-raising capacity. Surprisingly, antigovernment sentiment, as proxied by constituent support for Ross Perot's presidential campaign, did not appear to influence representative voting.