“The House Always Wins”: Lanhee Chen on California-Brand Direct Democracy

California is one of 24 states that allow voters to decide whether initiatives and referenda can become law – i.e., direct democracy. But what does California’s slate of 14 initiatives on the November ballot –  including a “wealth tax” on billionaires, new voter-ID requirements, plus proposed changes to the recall of elected officials – say about the Golden State’s priorities, special interests’ influence, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s presidential ambitions? In the first of a series of conversations about the practice of politics and policies in America’s most populous state, Hoover fellow Lanhee Chen, a keen observer of California’s policy landscape and a past candidate for statewide office, offers a snapshot of this year’s ballot slate, how California’s wealth-tax fight factors into national politics (not to mention the near-term future of California’s tech sector), and suggests a few reforms that would re-instill the public’s confidence in the initiative process. Recorded on June 26, 2026.