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Peeling Away the Populist Rhetoric: Toward a Taxonomy of Anti‐Tax Ballot Initiatives
Author(s) -
Smith Daniel A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
public budgeting and finance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.694
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1540-5850
pISSN - 0275-1100
DOI - 10.1111/j.0275-1100.2004.00349.x
Subject(s) - grassroots , ballot , rhetoric , professionalization , tax reform , political science , public economics , public administration , economics , voting , law , linguistics , philosophy , politics
Scholars have devoted considerable attention to both the fiscal and policy impact of tax and expenditure limitation ballot initiatives. This article instead examines how statewide anti‐tax measures come to be placed before the general public for popular votes. It critically assesses six anti‐tax measures on statewide ballots in 1996, questioning the wisdom that they were populist undertakings. While tax crusaders continue to draw on grassroots themes and use populist rhetoric, there are important differences across the groups sponsoring the six anti‐tax measures, including their organizational history, professionalization, membership, and sources of financial support.