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Today the concept is less action-oriented, but it still expresses the people’s frustration when government at any level is unresponsive. It is most often used when discussing the political entities of Initiative Petition and Referendum, or I & R for short. I & R allows the average citizen to band together with fellow citizens to bring an important issue directly to voters, even if government opposes or fails to act on the issue. I & R also allows these same citizens to bring to voters the opportunity to repeal some government action with which they disagree. The mechanism by which citizens do this is by collecting a sufficient number of signatures of registered voters in their district. The number of signatures required is set high enough to prevent frivolous use of the I & R process. I & R empowers people. That is the ultimate in direct democracy. Massachusetts
is one of a handful of states that has I & R
expressed as a right of the people in its At the town and city level, I & R has been growing across the country and it might now come to North Andover with the May 9th Town Meeting. Long-time resident Al Movsesian, with Article 24, is offering to bring the rights of local Initiative Petition and Referendum to all the town’s citizens. The language of the article is modeled after that in the Needham Town Charter, a community not unlike North Andover. Article 24 will not be easy to pass at town meeting, as there are those now in power at the meeting who do not want to give up some of that power and return it to the average citizen. Power is addictive and those that have it are rarely willing to share it without a fight. Let’s hope good sense prevails and the voters at town meeting approve this enlightened addition to our town charter. Mr. Movsesian says I & R will provide two immediate benefits to North Andover. First, it should improve citizen participation in local government because the people will feel more empowered. And second, I & R will act as an insurance policy in those rare instances where the people feel their government is unresponsive. Like insurance, you hope you never have to use it – but you are mighty glad it’s there when you need it. What have others said about the I & R concept? Teddy Roosevelt: “I believe in the Initiative and Referendum, which should be used not to destroy representative government, but to correct it whenever it becomes misrepresentative.” Thomas Jefferson: “I know of no safe repository of the ultimate power of society but the people.” Woodrow Wilson: “We are cleaning house and in order to clean house the one good thing we need is a good broom – Initiative and Referendum are good brooms. Ralph Nader: “Initiative and Referendum is the citizen activist’s ace in the hole.” Doug Phelps, Chairman of the National Association of State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs): “The Initiative and Referendum process is a wonderful tool for citizens. It embodies a fundamental right of self-government that is at the very core of democracy. Every community, state and the federal government should provide for some form of direct democracy.”
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This old protest slogan from the
1960s was used very effectively by people, young and old,
who felt disenfranchised from their government. It
expressed their frustration over a lack of power when the
government was doing things, or not doing things, that
these people felt was ignoring the will of the majority.
The phrase was used to oppose the Vietnam War as well as
support the expansion of civil rights, particularly in
the south. It was truly meant to be
“revolutionary” at the time.
state constitution. Over the years,
citizens have collected signatures to allow votes on
issues such as clean elections, the establishment of an
ethics commission, Proposition 2 ½, and even the bottle
bill.