Využívání referenda v jednotlivých státech USA

The aim of this thesis is to analyze the importance of the elements of direct democracy in the U.S. political system, or at the level of single U.S. states. In this thesis I find out in which connectivity the elements of direct democracy came into the political systems of some states, what types of elements of direct democracy are most frequently used, and what topics are the subjects of referendums and popular initiatives. In the first part I briefly focus on a general definition and history of direct democracy, including the definition of individual elements. Furthermore, I write about direct democracy in the United States, specifically its history, its development and uses. The main part contains a case study of the use of direct democracy in one of the U.S. state. For these purposes, I chose California, which uses various elements of direct democracy: referendum, popular initiative and recall, very often.