Arizona Constitution Practice Test

What is the process called in which voters can propose legislation or constitutional amendments?

1. Referendum

2. Initiative

3. Recall

4. Legislation

The correct answer is: Initiative

The process by which voters can propose legislation or constitutional amendments is known as an initiative. This allows citizens to take the lead in creating laws or altering the constitution by gathering a required number of signatures to place their proposal on the ballot. When voters support the initiative in a subsequent election, it can then be enacted as law. This process empowers voters to directly influence legislation and is a key feature of participatory democracy. In contrast, a referendum involves voters approving or rejecting a specific legislative act or amendment proposed by the legislature rather than allowing voters to propose them independently. Recall is a different mechanism that allows voters to remove an elected official from office before their term ends, rather than addressing legislative or constitutional changes. Legislation refers to the act of making or enacting laws, but it does not specifically involve voter participation in proposing those laws, which distinguishes the initiative as a unique process.