Sponsored by the Lusk Center for Real Estate, the Initiative and Referendum Institute and the USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics through a grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation

Organized by:
Stuart Gabriel (University of Southern California)
John Matsusaka (University of Southern California)
Gary Painter (University of Southern California)

Initiatives and referendums are reshaping the government, policies, and even the geography of American cities and counties. Citizen lawmakers are using direct democracy to limit growth, block Wal-mart stores, issue bonds for schools and parks, set minimum wages, arrange the financing of arenas and stadiums, and a host of other issues. This conference brings together leading scholars in economics, law, political science, and related fields to examine the latest trends and research on how direct democracy is impacting local government and the urban economy.

SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE

Friday, April 6, 2007
Location: Ralph and Goldy Lewis Hall, Room 100

9:00 a.m.: Continental Breakfast Opens

9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Welcome and Overview by Organizers

Session 1 Infrastructure
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Matthew Kahn (UCLA and Tufts University)
"The Impact of Green Voters on California’s Transportation and Housing Supply Policies"

Mathew McCubbins (University of California San Diego)
Elizabeth Garrett (University of Southern California Gould School of Law)
"When Voters Build Cities: How Direct Democracy is Shaping and Reshaping the American Landscape"

Commenter:
Richard Little ( University of Southern California)
Gary Painter (University of Southern California)

Lunch 12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m.

Session 2 Taxes and Spending
1:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m.

Elisabeth Gerber (University of Michigan)
"The Impact of Direct Democracy on Local Government Fiscal Policy.”

John Matsusaka (University of Southern California)
"Direct Democracy and Public Employees."

David Primo (University of Rochester)
"The Effect of Local Initiatives on Government Spending"

Commenter:
Rod Kiewiet (California Institute of Technlogy)
Caroline Tolbert (University of Iowa)

Saturday April 7, 2007
Location: Ralph and Goldy Lewis Hall, Room 308

9:30 a.m.: Continental Breakfast Opens

Session 3
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Michael Smith (Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic)
"Is Direct Democracy Good for the Environment? A re-examination of the link from the perspective of Central and Eastern Europe"

Robert Helsley (University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business)
"Urban Political Economics"

Commenter:
Tracy Gordon (Public Policy Institute of California)
Jan Brueckner (University of California-Irvine)

Please contact Betsey Hawkins (bhawkins@law.usc.edu; (213)740-7737) to RSVP or with any questions.