Referendums Around the World

Referendums Around the World PDF Author: Matt Qvortrup
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137314702
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 395

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Book Description
Surveying all referendums around the world since 1793, Dr Qvortrup and contributors provide a thorough account of why and when citizens have been asked to vote on policy issues. Referendums Around the World is essential reading for political scientists and others interested in direct democracy as well as representative government.

Referendums Around the World

Referendums Around the World PDF Author: David Butler
Publisher: American Enterprise Institute
ISBN: 9780844738536
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
Updated edition of : Referendums. c1978.

The Routledge Handbook to Referendums and Direct Democracy

The Routledge Handbook to Referendums and Direct Democracy PDF Author: Laurence Morel
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351360728
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 553

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Book Description
Over the last 30 years referendums have played an increasingly important role in determining government policy. Recent high profile referendums in Scotland, Catalonia and Ukraine have continued the movement towards independence referendums following decolonization and the end of the Cold War. The Greek bailout referendum and Britain’s vote on membership of the EU reflect a tradition of European states giving their people a direct say in the transfer of sovereign powers to the European Union seen through the ratification of key treaties such as Maastricht, Amsterdam, Nice and Lisbon. This Routledge Handbook covers key aspects and issues of direct democracy and referendums throughout the world including: •their history; •when, why, where, how and on which issues referendums are held; •why some referendums are more democratic than others; •how referendums are won; •whether they produce good policies; •if referendums increase participation and improve the quality of representative democracies; •do referendums increase trust in democracy and the political actors; •the impact of new technology on the possibilities, methods and frequency of direct public political participation; •how they should be regulated. Covering other related areas such as recall, citizen juries and random selection, this compendium is an indispensable guide to referendums and the workings of modern democracy.

The Palgrave Handbook of European Referendums

The Palgrave Handbook of European Referendums PDF Author: Julie Smith
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030558037
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 736

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Book Description
This handbook provides an empirically rich analysis of referendums in Europe from the end of the Second World War to the present. It addresses a range of perennial theoretical and legal questions that face policy-makers when they offer citizens the chance to take or influence decisions by referendum, not least whether to accept the ‘will of the people’. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach, drawing on historical, philosophical and political science perspectives, the book includes a contextual section on the history of referendums, the theoretical questions underpinning their use, and on constitutional and legal questions about the use of referendums. The empirical sections are divided into those referendums that focus on domestic issues, such as constitutional matters or questions of social policy, and those related to the European Union, including membership referendums and treaty ratification.

Referendum Democracy

Referendum Democracy PDF Author: Matthew Mendelsohn
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9780333918890
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 277

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Book Description
As the referendum becomes a more regular component of decision making, it leaves few, if any, institutions, processes and values of democracy untouched. Political actors of all kinds including political parties and interest groups seek to use the referendum device to further their own objectives. The end result is a different kind of democracy than existed before. This book lays out the comparative research agenda on the impact of referendums on the practice of liberal democracy.

Constitutional Referendums

Constitutional Referendums PDF Author: Stephen Tierney
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199592799
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
The constitutional referendum has become a vital feature of modern constitution-making and reform. This book provides the first full-length analysis of the theoretical foundations of constitutional referendums, assessing their democratic credentials and the design decisions that affect the value and legitimacy of the referendum process.

The Politics of Direct Democracy

The Politics of Direct Democracy PDF Author: Lawrence LeDuc
Publisher: Peterborough, Ont. : Broadview Press
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
This book aims to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date survey of direct democratic institutions and devices as they have developed both in the thinking of modern political theorists and in actual political practice in the world's major democratic nations.

Referendums Around the World

Referendums Around the World PDF Author: Matt Qvortrup
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137314702
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 395

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Book Description
Surveying all referendums around the world since 1793, Dr Qvortrup and contributors provide a thorough account of why and when citizens have been asked to vote on policy issues. Referendums Around the World is essential reading for political scientists and others interested in direct democracy as well as representative government.

Let the People Rule

Let the People Rule PDF Author: John G. Matsusaka
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691199728
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
How referendums can diffuse populist tensions by putting power back into the hands of the people Propelled by the belief that government has slipped out of the hands of ordinary citizens, a surging wave of populism is destabilizing democracies around the world. As John Matsusaka reveals in Let the People Rule, this belief is based in fact. Over the past century, while democratic governments have become more efficient, they have also become more disconnected from the people they purport to represent. The solution Matsusaka advances is familiar but surprisingly underused: direct democracy, in the form of referendums. While this might seem like a dangerous idea post-Brexit, there is a great deal of evidence that, with careful design and thoughtful implementation, referendums can help bridge the growing gulf between the government and the people. Drawing on examples from around the world, Matsusaka shows how direct democracy can bring policies back in line with the will of the people (and provide other benefits, like curbing corruption). Taking lessons from failed processes like Brexit, he also describes what issues are best suited to referendums and how they should be designed, and he tackles questions that have long vexed direct democracy: can voters be trusted to choose reasonable policies, and can minority rights survive majority decisions? The result is one of the most comprehensive examinations of direct democracy to date—coupled with concrete, nonpartisan proposals for how countries can make the most of the powerful tools that referendums offer. With a crisis of representation hobbling democracies across the globe, Let the People Rule offers important new ideas about the crucial role the referendum can play in the future of government.

Direct Democracy Worldwide

Direct Democracy Worldwide PDF Author: David Altman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139495437
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
Challenging the common assumption that models of direct democracy and representative democracy are necessarily at odds, Direct Democracy Worldwide demonstrates how practices of direct and representative democracy interact under different institutional settings and uncovers the conditions that allow them to coexist in a mutually reinforcing manner. Whereas citizen-initiated mechanisms of direct democracy can spur productive relationships between citizens and political parties, other mechanisms of direct democracy often help leaders bypass other representative institutions, undermining republican checks and balances. The book also demonstrates that the embrace of direct democracy is costly, may generate uncertainties and inconsistencies, and can be manipulated. Nonetheless, the promise of direct democracy should not be dismissed. Direct democracy is much more than a simple, pragmatic second choice when representative democracy seems not to be working as expected. Properly designed, it can empower citizens, breaking through some of the institutionalized barriers to accountability that arise in representative systems.

Voting from Abroad

Voting from Abroad PDF Author: Andrew Ellis
Publisher: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)
ISBN: 9185391662
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
The constitutions of many countries guarantee the right to vote for all citizens. However, in reality, voters who are outside their home country when elections take place are often disenfranchised because of a lack of procedures enabling them to exercise that right. Voting from Abroad: The International IDEA Handbook examines the theoretical and practical issues surrounding external voting. It provides an overview of external voting provisions in 115 countries and territories around the world, including a map illustrating the regional spread.