Structural foundations, triggering events, and ballot initiatives: the case of Proposition 5

A controversial piece of legislation affecting the taking of wildlife, approved during the 1998 general election by Utah voters, essentially serves as a tool to protect hunting rights. I document the recent increase in use of the ballot initiative process by special interest groups as a mechanism to change wildlife policy. I use Galliher's (1989) structural foundations-triggering events framework to examine how and why laws originate, and I identify specific factors that contributed to the passage of this unique legislation in Utah.