In the fall of 1911, the new governor, a lawyer from San Francisco, convinced California voters to add the recall, referendum, and initiative to the constitution as a way to stop the political machines. These days, the initiative process is itself a machine, accessible mainly by interests and people with big money. After a century, can California's experiment with direct democracy be saved? And if so, how? At this event, a panel of experts from California and around the world explained how new technology and new research suggest a variety of ways that democracy might be returned to the people.

A full write-up is available on the Zocalo Public Square website.