In 1911, California became the tenth state to adopt three key tools of popular sovereignty – the initiative, referendum and recall. As defined by the California Constitution, the initiative is the power of the electors to propose statutes and amendments to the Constitution and to adopt or reject them; the referendum is the power of the electors to approve or reject statutes or parts of statutes (with certain exceptions); and the recall is the power of the electors to remove an elective officer. Cal. Const. Art. II, §§ 8, 9 &13.

In the ensuing years, the voters have used the power of the initiative to effect many significant changes in California law. These include...