Zócalo in San Francisco: How Do We Put The People Back in The Initiative Process?

In the fall of 1911, the new governor, a lawyer from San Francisco, convinced California voters to add the recall, referendum, and initiative to the constitution as a way to stop the political machines. These days, direct democracy, and the initiative process, is itself a machine, accessible only by interests and people with big money. After a century, join us at Zocalo as we ask: can California's experiment with direct democracy be saved? And if so, how? We'll hear from a panel of experts from California and around the world who explain how new technology and new research suggest a variety of ways that democracy might be returned to the people. Join the discussion with Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation; Bruno Kaufmann, Swiss-Swedish journalist and president of the leading direct democracy think tank, Initiative & Referendum Institute Europe; and Paul Jacob, founder of the term limits movement and president of the Citizens in Charge Foundation, a 50-state volunteer network on direct democracy.