In the United States citizens can petition Congress for legislation through representatives. Furthermore, in theory they (or anyone) can directly introduce propose a draft legislation also.
Voters are given the power to introduce legislation through a process known as the initiative, which is often established by state constitutions or laws. This process allows citizens to propose new laws or amendments and gather signatures to place the measure on the ballot for a public vote. In this way, voters can directly influence legislation and policy decisions within their jurisdiction.
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Voters elect representatives.
initiative
The recent legislation against late term abortions will likely face a challenge in court. The voters seemed unhappy that the state senator opposed his party's recent legislation.
Referendum
The voters' petition to pass legislation is commonly referred to as a "ballot initiative" or "citizen initiative." This process allows citizens to propose new laws or amendments to existing laws and gather signatures to qualify the measure for a vote in an election. If enough valid signatures are collected, the initiative is placed on the ballot for voters to decide.
The initiative allowed reformers to bypass lawmakers by putting legislation directly before the voters
Voters. We elect the politicians who pass legislation.
The initiative allowed reformers to bypass lawmakers by putting legislation directly before the voters
Referendum