John G. Matsusaka leads the Initiative and Referendum Institute at USC, which studies and tracks ballot measures and propositions. (USC Photo/David Sprague)
2024 California ballot measures: Q&A with John Matsusaka
Matsusaka, a political economist and expert on direct democracy, discusses the key statewide ballot propositions voters will decide on in November.
This November, Californians won’t just be voting for the next president and their congressional representatives — they’ll also be deciding on 10 statewide ballot measures that address critical policy issues, including affordable housing, climate-resilient infrastructure and the modernization of public schools.
USC News spoke with John G. Matsusaka, an expert on direct democracy and executive director of the Initiative and Referendum Institute at USC, which studies and tracks ballot measures and propositions throughout the country. An economist by training, he works on topics related to political economy, direct democracy, corporate finance and corporate governance. The Charles F. Sexton Chair in American Enterprise at the USC Marshall School of Business and the USC Gould School of Law, Matsusaka offers his insights on these propositions and their potential impact on California.
How do California’s ballot propositions reflect broader trends in direct democracy?
Matsusaka: California continues to be the national leader in allowing citizens to use ballot measures to resolve important state issues, with a healthy 10 issues on the ballot at this time. As is common, most of the issues tend to be local in nature, such as rent control, minimum wage, bond issues and referendum laws themselves.
What stands out to you about this year’s ballot propositions? Are there any emerging trends or key issues in this year’s propositions that voters should be aware of?
Matsusaka: As is the case almost every election, there are some important issues on the ballot for the voters to decide. Voters must decide whether to approve two huge $10 billion bond issues proposed by the legislature, one for schools and the other for a wish list of projects including parks, environmental protection, water and flood control.
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There are two notable initiatives: Proposition 33 would eliminate a state law prohibiting cities from limiting rental rates on single-family homes — rent control on apartments would not be affected. Proposition 36 would increase penalties on certain crimes, partially undoing a voter-approved law from a few years ago that removed serious sanctions for property theft below $950 that has been accused of fueling a growth in property crimes.
Finally, the legislature has proposed a constitutional amendment (Proposition 5) that would make it easier for local governments to borrow in order to finance low-income housing projects, by lowering the threshold for voter approval from 67% to 55%.
How do ballot propositions challenge or complement the traditional legislative process?
Matsusaka: Ballot propositions sometimes challenge and sometimes are part of the traditional legislative process. On a typical ballot, most of the propositions are placed on the ballot by the legislature. This year, five of the 10 propositions currently set for the ballot came from the legislature, and five came from citizen petitions.
The legislative propositions came to the voters because the California constitution requires the legislature to get voter approval for bond issues and constitutional amendments. The propositions that came from citizen petitions — called “initiatives” — are attempts to override the legislature. Groups typically sponsor initiatives after they fail to persuade the legislature to pass a law they want, in an effort to go over the heads of elected officials to the final authority, the people.
