Citizens' initiatives in Europe
Subtitle: procedures and consequences of agenda-setting by citizens
By: edited by Maija Setälä, Academy Research Fellow, Department of Political Science, University of Turku, Finland; Theo Schiller, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire; New York, NY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 262
ISBN-13: 9780230319691
Subjects: Political planning; Public administration; Direct democracy; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Democracy; Political participation; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / General; Citizen participation; European Citizens' Initiative; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Government / National; Decision making
Description: The contributors to this edited volume analyze and compare different kinds of citizens' initiatives, including both full scale initiatives and agenda initiatives, in eleven European democracies and the EU. The book provides a comprehensive account of the practices of citizens' initiatives in each case, including a description of the historical background of the citizens' initiatives and the political system in which they operate. Particular attention is paid to the institutional design of citizens' initiatives which largely explains how they function in different political contexts. Citizens Initiatives in Europe sheds light on issues relevant to democracy, for example, how citizens' initiatives influence patterns of political agenda-setting in representative democracies and how they contribute to the aspirations of participatory democracy.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.