The Initiative Process and Interest Group Re-Registrations: An Individual-Level Analysis

What effect does the initiative process have on interest group survival? Theoretical results suggest that interest groups in states with the initiative process should be characterized by lower survival rates since the presence of the initiative process increases mobilizations by potentially less stable groups. Research at the aggregate level has demonstrated that interest group populations in initiative states do have greater exit and entry rates, but is necessarily incapable of controlling for the attributes of individual groups such as involvement with the initiative process. In this paper I conduct an analysis at the group level by determiningwhether groups included in a 1999 survey of four states are still registered in subsequent years. Groups in initiative states, particularly initiative users, are less likely to survive the period under study. 1 The Initiative Process and Interest Groups Institutions such as the initiative process influence interest group populations. Because the initia-tive process allows citizens and organized interests to influence policy without direct legislative involvement, it alters groups ’ decisions about whether to mobilize and how to lobby. The dif-ferent incentives created by the initiative process are reflected in in a number of ways. Interes