Kansas Vote on Abortion Reflects a Distorted Democratic Landscape Replete With Structural Impediments and Special Interests

In a state that is staunchly republican, with many voters who explicitly identify as po life, kansans made their preferences clear by a vote of 59 to forty one. The lopsided tally so transcends the expected partisan split on abortion that it may indicate that for many cansons, including po life republicans, the current re activ landscape in which pregnancy related medical care is at risk and children are compelled to bear children goes beyond what many are willing to accept. Many states do not allow ballot initiatives, meaning that policy making will occur through the traditional channels of representative government. So where does that leave us? Kansas and indiana give us a glimpse of the promise and perils of