"Citizens have very real formal power to check those of the governor especially the power to recall the governor as well as all elected officials except judges. Although no Michigan governor has been recalled, the recall power remains an imposing threat.
"An unsuccessful recall drive against Governor Blanchard for his leadership in the 1983 tax increase served to remind him and other officials that another boost in tax rates might renew the recall drive.
"Only four months into his governorship, two groups scheduled hearings to get petitions approved to recall Engler, presumably because of his welfare cuts. The ensuing months of public scrutiny that accompanied signature gathering did much to convince the administration to take a more balanced approach to budget cutting.
"However, Michigan voters more frequently use their powers of direct democracy not to recall governors or legislators but to move certain public demands. State taxing policies have been common targets for such citizen actions, as have abortion policies."
-- Michigan Politics & Government: Facing change in a complex state, William P. Browne & Kenneth VerBurg, 1995 University of Nebraska Press, Chapter 4, The Politics of Gubernatorial Leadership
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