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13 Pol. Sci. Q. 1 (1898)

handle is hein.journals/pclscceqry13 and id is 1 raw text is: Volume XIII.] POLITICAL SCIENCE QUARTERLY. THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM IN CALIFORNIA. THE fact that ninety proposals for constitutional amend- ments were introduced during the last session of the legislature in California, created in some quarters an appre- hension that the entire organic law of the state might be going to pieces ; and, under the impression that things must be ex- tremely unsatisfactory to call for so many suggestions of change, the legislature hastily passed a resolution submitting to the people the question of calling a convention to frame an entirely new constitution. But there was really no cause for alarm. The truth is that California has been making an extremely inter- esting experiment in government, and one that promises to work very well. It is nothing less than dispensing with a con- stitution, in the old sense, and substituting two classes of laws - one of more importance and authority, adopted by the people; and the other of less, enacted by the legislature.' The first constitution of California, framed in 1849, was amended only three times in the course of thirty years. The process of amendment was difficult, for the concurrence of two successive legislatures was required before a proposed change could be submitted to the people. The constitution was drawn 1 The course of California illustrates a general tendency in our state polity, which is discussed in its broad aspects by Professor Burgess in an article entitled The American Commonwealth, in POLITICAL SCIENCE QUARTERLY, VOl. i, esp. pp. 26-35. March, 1898. [Number r.

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