Conservatives Fall for the Allure of the Davis Recall

Conservatives are supposed to maintain steady hands on the tiller of the ship of state, maintaining a constant bearing despite the rapidly shifting winds of public sentiment. However, they too sometimes find it easy and temporarily rewarding to float easily along on popular breezes. Rather than being so unseemly excited by the opportunity offered by the potential recall of the unpopular California Governor Gray Davis, they should be soberly assessing the long term damage such recalls can inflict.

The whole idea under girding representative democracy is the assertion that the best governance arises from the deliberation of elected representatives. Proper governance often requires the acquisition of information and the weighing of choices that require more time and effort than most people can devote. People are rightly concerned with their own occupations and caring for the needs of their families. Assent of the governed comes in periodic elections allowing the polity to pass judgment on the effectiveness of their legislators and executives.

Progressives at the beginning of the last century found their agenda stymied by the political machines that often served mostly to enrich those in power. They believed if only there was more direct democracy, their agenda could be implemented. Progressives were responsible for the amending of many state constitutions allowing for referendums so that the people could, in effect, vote for legislation directly. The referendum movement really did not have much of an impact as the political machines began to atrophy.

After 1978, much of this changed. Up until then, referendums in California were not particularly successful. At the end of the 1970s, property values in California were rapidly increasing resulting in a windfall of state revenues. Rather than decreasing rates to offset this infusion of funds, California politicians preferred to increase spending. This increased tax burden walloped homeowners whose incomes did not increase as rapidly as the value of their homes. Elderly homeowners on fixed incomes were particularly hard hit. In this environment the public was angry and, to the surprise of conventional politicians Proposition 13 to limit taxes easily passed.

Despite the salutary effect of that proposition, there was one important unintended consequence: the embrace of ballot initiatives and referendums across the country and particularly in California. Californians have now been asked to legislate on hundreds of issues. The result is the implementation of so many mandates, that the California legislature is hamstrung. According to Fareed Sakaria, 85% of the California spending has

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