Initiative & Referendum Institute
| Initiative & Referendum Institute | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Los Angeles, California |
| Affiliation: | Nonpartisan |
| Top official: | John Matsusaka |
| Founder(s): | M. Dane Waters |
| Year founded: | 1998 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Initiative & Referendum Institute, or I&R Institute, is an educational and research organization dedicated to the study of the I&R process. It is affiliated with the University of Southern California.[1]
Background
Political strategist M. Dane Waters founded the I&R Institute in 1998. As of December 2025, the institute was "dedicated to providing information to the citizens, academics, governments, and students about how the initiative and referendum process has been utilized."[1][2]
In 2006, the University of Southern California began housing the institute under the leadership of Professor John Matsusaka. Ed Meese, III, former U.S. attorney general under President Ronald Reagan (R), said of the institute: "[T]he Initiative & Referendum Institute performs a valuable service to the Nation by providing research and educational programs to protect and expand the democratic process of initiative and referendum by the people in the several states. Having this electoral ability is a critical ‘safety valve’ for effective citizenship."[1]
Leadership
As of December 2025, the following individuals held leadership positions at I&R Institute:[2][3]
- M. Dane Waters, founder and chair
- John Matsusaka, president and executive director
Work and activities
As of December 2025, the I&R Institute said it studied the I&R process and published "papers and monographs addressing its effect on public policy, citizen participation and its reflection of trends in American thought and culture."[1] Research topics included: the backsliding of direct democracy; the role of race and ethnicity in California's initiative process; and the relationship between ballot initiatives and voter turnout.[4]
The institute also housed databases, including a state-by-state directory detailing the I&R process, if any, in each state, a direct democracy historical database, a legal landscape database, and a database on California's local sales tax referendums.[5][6]
The I&R Institute also published Ballotwatch, which detailed ballot measures for each election year as well as election results.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Initiative & Referendum Institute, "What is the Initiative and Referendum Institute?" accessed December 2, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 M. Dane Waters, "About Dane," accessed December 2, 2025
- ↑ John G. Matsusaka, "About," accessed December 2, 2025
- ↑ Initiative & Referendum Institute, "Direct Democracy Research," accessed December 2, 2025
- ↑ Initiative & Referendum Institute, "Direct Democracy in Your State," accessed December 2, 2025
- ↑ Initiative & Referendum Institute, "Direct Democracy Data," accessed December 2, 2025
- ↑ Initiative & Referendum Institute, "Ballotwatch," accessed December 2, 2025
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