Joint venture to create nation’s leading center for study of initiatives, recalls and referendums

The Initiative and Referendum Institute (IRI), the nation’s most prominent educational and research organization focused on direct democracy, will move to USC on Jan. 1. IRI will join the USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics (CSLP) to form the nation’s leading center for the study of the initiative, referendum and recall process.

Founded in 1998 and currently based in Leesburg, Va., IRI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to tracking political trends on its award-winning Web site and through its Ballotwatch service.

IRI provides expert opinion for journalists and policymakers, hosts international conferences and publishes policy monographs, reference books and scholarly work. IRI is active in Europe through its sister organization, IRI-Europe, based in Amsterdam.

“IRI is currently the leading source of reliable, nonpartisan information on the initiative, referendum and recall for media and policymakers,” said John Matsusaka, a senior research fellow at IRI and professor of finance and business economics at USC’s Marshall School of Business, who will serve as president of the institute.

“We believe this affiliation with the USC-Caltech Center will also make IRI the leading center for scholarly research on these increasingly important tools of popular government,” Matsusaka said.

The USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics is an interdisciplinary center whose members are leading scholars in law and the social sciences from USC, Caltech and other universities across the country. The center’s scholars conduct rigorous studies of all aspects of the democratic process, including public opinion, voting, the role of media, the role of money, and public policy.

Following the move, IRI’s founder, M. Dane Waters, will become the organization’s chairman and will head the institute’s Washington, D.C.-area office.

“With the recent historic recall election in California, we have seen that voter-driven legislation is spurring profound changes in the political landscape, especially in the Western states,” said Waters.

“Our relocation to Los Angeles will enhance our visibility, allow us to work more closely with the excellent scholars at USC and Caltech, and establish the institute as the critical source for information on the initiative, referendum and recall.”

Combining the IRI with the Center for the Study of Law and Politics will create the nation’s most prominent center for the study of the initiative, referendum and recall at the local, state and international levels, said Elizabeth Garrett, a professor of law and politics at USC and director of the CSLP.

“We look forward to working with outstanding scholars in law, political science, economics and public policy throughout the United States to produce rigorous analysis and information about this vital part of the democratic process,” Garrett said.