A single political boss could reverse a referendum’s outcome by letting it be resubmitted

Evidence

Doughty’s friendship was to give Moses his first real hold on Jones Beach. After the meetings between the two men, the Republican boss told Moses to resubmit, with some minor revisions, the proposal so soundly defeated in the November 1925 referendum. Moses did so in November 1926, and the three-to-one margin against the proposal magically became a three-to-one margin in favor, Hempstead Town voting, 18,872 to 5,076, to cede to the Long Island Park Commission “all right, title, interest and jurisdiction…to all that certain town land…commonly known as Jones Beach.” — Robert A. Caro, The Power Broker, 920

Categorization

• QUESTION: How did a public referendum get flipped from 3-to-1 against to 3-to-1 in favor in one year? Caro implies boss control rather than changed public opinion.
• XREF: connects to: Referendum-driven constitutional change would destroy constitutional permanence. — Philip Chase Bobbitt, Reflections Inspired by My Critics, 262; A single senator’s party defection can shift control of judicial confirmations. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 503

Broader Connections

• Referendum-driven constitutional change would destroy constitutional permanence. #complicates (0.75) — Philip Chase Bobbitt, Reflections Inspired by My Critics, 262