ABSTRACT
Three major mechanisms of direct democracy are widely available and employed in the United States: the recall election, the referendum (both the citizen referendum and the legislative referendum) and the ballot initiative. Although direct democracy is a familiar and common aspect of Americans’ political experience, the United States does not permit the use of direct democracy at the national level. The United States does not permit the people to initiate legislation nor does it permit the people to refer to the ballot legislation that has been approved by Congress. Likewise, the United States does not permit the recall of elected federal officials.
