Interest Groups, Referenda, and the Political Process PDF Download
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Author: Klaus W. Zimmermann
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
We argue that the institutionalization of direct democratic elements in a constitution will tend to enhance the efficiency of an economy. In a model of direct democracy it is shown that -- contrary to the political process in a representative democracy -- efficient projects will always be politically accepted and the degree of inefficiency of inefficient projects will be reduced. These effects stem from a more intense competition among small interest groups and the pressure to improve the cost-benefit ratio of a project. Furthermore, "contestable decision markets", that is the co-existence of direct and indirect forms of democracy, will always work in favor of higher efficiency.
Author: Klaus W. Zimmermann
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
We argue that the institutionalization of direct democratic elements in a constitution will tend to enhance the efficiency of an economy. In a model of direct democracy it is shown that -- contrary to the political process in a representative democracy -- efficient projects will always be politically accepted and the degree of inefficiency of inefficient projects will be reduced. These effects stem from a more intense competition among small interest groups and the pressure to improve the cost-benefit ratio of a project. Furthermore, "contestable decision markets", that is the co-existence of direct and indirect forms of democracy, will always work in favor of higher efficiency.
Author: Thomas E. Cronin
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 308
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Book Description
Author: Elisabeth R. Gerber
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400823307
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 186
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Book Description
Do small but wealthy interest groups influence referendums, ballot initiatives, and other forms of direct legislation at the expense of the broader public interest? Many observers argue that they do, often lamenting that direct legislation has, paradoxically, been captured by the very same wealthy interests whose power it was designed to curb. Elisabeth Gerber, however, challenges that argument. In this first systematic study of how money and interest group power actually affect direct legislation, she reveals that big spending does not necessarily mean big influence. Gerber bases her findings on extensive surveys of the activities and motivations of interest groups and on close examination of campaign finance records from 168 direct legislation campaigns in eight states. Her research confirms what such wealthy interests as the insurance industry, trial lawyer associations, and tobacco companies have learned by defeats at the ballot box: if citizens do not like a proposed new law, even an expensive, high-profile campaign will not make them change their mind. She demonstrates, however, that these economic interest groups have considerable success in using direct legislation to block initiatives that others are proposing and to exert pressure on politicians. By contrast, citizen interest groups with broad-based support and significant organizational resources have proven to be extremely effective in using direct legislation to pass new laws. Clearly written and argued, this is a major theoretical and empirical contribution to our understanding of the role of citizens and organized interests in the American legislative process.
Author: David B. Truman
Publisher: Praeger
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 592
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Book Description
An analysis of the formation and activities of representative interest groups particularly in relation to the formal institutions of government.
Author: M. Mendelsohn
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1403900965
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 292
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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.
Author: Joshua J Dyck
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 047212465X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 216
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Book Description
Arguments about the American ballot initiative process date back to the Progressive Era, when processes allowing citizens to decide policy questions directly were established in about half of the states. When political scientists began to systematically examine whether the state ballot initiative process had spillover consequences, they found the initiative process had a positive impact on civic engagement. Recent scholarship casts doubt on these conclusions, determining the ballot initiative process did not make people believe they could influence the political process, trust the government, or be more knowledgeable about politics in general. However, in some circumstances, it got them to show up at the polls, and increased interest groups’ participation in the political arena. In Initiatives without Engagement, Dyck and Lascher develop and test a theory that can explain the evidence that the ballot initiative process fails to provide the civic benefits commonly claimed for it, and the evidence that it increases political participation. This theory argues that the basic function of direct democracy is to create more conflict in society.
Author: Mads Qvortrup
Publisher: Manchester University Press
ISBN: 9780719071812
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 212
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Book Description
Combining an account of the political history and philosophy of the referendum, with a thorough assessment of the practical experiences with referendums in western democracies, this book has established itself as the unrivalled market-leader in the field. Fully revised and with new chapters on campaign spending and the administration of referendums, the second edition of this book provides a thorough overview of the theory and practice of referendums.
Author: David Bicknell Truman
Publisher: University of California, Institute of Governmental Studies
ISBN:
Category : Lobbying
Languages : en
Pages : 620
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Book Description
Author: Holli A. Semetko
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134272979
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 237
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Book Description
This book reviews the research on campaigns and elections and investigates the effects of campaigning in referendums, drawing on panel survey data, media content data, focus groups, and interviews with journalists and campaign managers. The authors argue that the media coverage not only influences public perceptions of the campaign, the referendum issue and the party leaders, but that, in a close race, it also shapes the voting and the political future of the incumbent party. The first study to investigate the dynamics and effects of a referendum campaign on politicians, media and citizens, this innovative volume will be of interest to students and researchers of political communication.
Author: Daniel A. Smith
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472024256
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 248
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Book Description
"This body of research not only passes academic muster but is the best guidepost in existence for activists who are trying to use the ballot initiative process for larger policy and political objectives." --Kristina Wilfore, Executive Director, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and Foundation Educated by Initiative moves beyond previous evaluations of public policy to emphasize the educational importance of the initiative process itself. Since a majority of ballots ultimately fail or get overturned by the courts, Smith and Tolbert suggest that the educational consequences of initiative voting may be more important than the outcomes of the ballots themselves. The result is a fascinating and thoroughly-researched book about how direct democracy teaches citizens about politics, voting, civic engagement and the influence of special interests and political parties. Designed to be accessible to anyone interested in the future of American democracy, the book includes boxes (titled "What Matters") that succinctly summarize the authors' data into easily readable analyses. Daniel A. Smith is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida. Caroline J. Tolbert is Associate Professor of Political Science at Kent State University.
