Being part of a nation founded on the pillars of democracy, it seems to make sense to give the people a voice in the governing process. In California, as in other states, the initiative and referendum process is a tool of direct democracy used by citizens. California allows statutory and constitutional initiatives to be placed on the ballot. In a utopian world, direct democracy is an ideal form of government because it gives people the power to decide; however, direct democracy is an idealistic tool as it gives the ability to create political and constitutional changes to people who are unaware of the issue. William Jennings Bryan argues that direct democracy such as the initiative and referendum process does not diminish the importance of the legislative body or take away the authority of legislators elected to the legislature. However, it is clear that the propositions of the past have had a great impact on the function of the legislator, modifying their processes and institutional rules. Through the passage of several legislature-related initiatives, it is undeniable that the relationship between direct democracy and the California legislature has created tension in California politics. To understand how the tension arose, it is necessary to address the changes that the initiatives have brought to the legislative system. Addressing the consequences and benefits of the approval of the propositions on the legislator is crucial to understanding the tension that has arisen. We also need to address how direct democracy has hindered the legislative function. By addressing these issues, we will better understand the tension they have created in California politics. First, initiatives like any other issue have two sides... at the center of the paper... the legislative body. The premise that direct democracy has hindered the work of the legislator is evident. We see that the use of direct democracy has created a tension in California politics. The initiative process is not exclusively used by citizens but also by legislators. Tension is created when the work of the legislator and the function of the legislator are affected. However, there is no tension when the initiative benefits the legislator. The constraint created by the passage of Propositions 13 and 140 contributes to the tension and only strengthens it. Although we see a tension between direct democracy and the California legislature, this does not mean that the legislature has lost its full authority, but rather is slowly losing some of it. The legislative branch cannot lose its full authority since the legislative body is an integral part of the representative government.