LOST LAST MONTH amid the attention given to Donald Trump’s surprising showing in the state was another stunning rebuke of the Democratic Party. On Election Day, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly approved Question 1, granting the state auditor, Diana DiZoglio, the authority to audit the Massachusetts Legislature, which the Democrats control.  

Since DiZoglio’s election in 2022, Democratic leaders in the Legislature have resisted her attempts to audit both chambers, arguing that they violate the separation of powers and are thus unconstitutional. In the wake of the passage of Question 1, questions have emerged about whether the Legislature would seek to narrow the scope of the citizen initiative or repeal it altogether.  

In a potential challenge to Question 1, the House passed an internal rule change stipulating that DiZoglio must choose an independent firm to conduct an audit. This contradicts the language of Question 1 that grants this authority to the state auditor.     

The respective views of the state auditor and the Legislature are clear. But what about those of ordinary Massachusetts residents? How do they feel about the Legislature? What are their views about the ballot initiative process? And why, ultimately, did a supermajority of Massachusetts voters support Question 1?   

Our recent University of Massachusetts Amherst/WCVB poll sheds some light on the answers to these questions. 

Our poll reveals declining public approval of the Legislature. In April of 2023, close to six in 10 residents approved of the job the Legislature was doing, but by October of 2024 only 46 percent did.

To further explore views of the Legislature, we asked respondents to describe it in one word. While some respondents described the Legislature as “good,” “fair,” and “okay,” others described it as “slow” and “useless.” In what may explain the strong public support for Question 1, the most frequently used word to describe the Legislature was “corrupt.” Clearly, Beacon Hill has an image problem. 

Our survey also found that Massachusetts residents strongly endorse the power of the people to use the ballot initiative process to hold elected officials accountable. Over three in four residents indicate they either “strongly support” or “somewhat support” using ballot questions to pass constitutional amendments or make laws. More pointedly, Massachusetts residents believe that ballot initiatives empower the people to correct legislative inaction. Three-quarters of residents (76 percent) agreed with the statement, “The ballot initiative process allows voters to address important problems that elected officials often fail to address.”  

These attitudes help explain why nearly 72 percent of Massachusetts residents approved of Question 1. Frustrated with what they view as poor performance with the Legislature, Massachusetts residents used one of the tools at their disposal to try to shake things up on Beacon Hill. 

Now, that doesn’t mean that Question 1 is a perfect initiative. Far from it. As state legislators, the attorney general, and a former state auditor have pointed out, Question 1 indeed raises serious questions about the separation of powers, because it involves the executive branch in the internal workings of the Legislature. And ballot questions are always going to be a blunt instrument for addressing complex constitutional issues. 

But as long as Massachusetts residents continue to feel that elected officials on Beacon Hill are failing to address pressing problems facing the Commonwealth, they will continue to try to use the initiative process to make changes. Overwhelming public support for Question 1 suggests state legislators may need to do some soul-searching about how to address the public’s concerns about state government. 

Tatishe Nteta is Provost Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and director of the UMass Poll. Jesse Rhodes is professor of political science at the UMass Amherst and co-director of the UMass Poll. Adam Eichen is a PhD student in political science at UMass Amherst and a graduate research fellow for the UMass Poll.