Direct democracy worldwide
By: David Altman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Cambridge; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 248
ISBN-13: 9781107001640
Subjects: Direct democracy; Comparative government
Description: "Challenging the assumption that models of direct democracy and representative democracy are necessarily at odds, this book 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"--Provided by publisher.

"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 in some cases is easily 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"--Provided by publisher.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 213-236) and index.
Table of contents: title: Direct democracy at the turn of the century; title: Terms of the debate surrounding direct democracy; title: Myths and facts behind the use of mechanisms of direct democracy: a worldwide analysis; title: Direct democracy within nondemocratic regimes; title: Direct democracy within weak democracies: some cases from Latin America; title: Direct democracy within democracies: the case of Uruguay (historic evolution, and voting behavior); title: Uruguayan citizen-initiated mechanisms of direct democracy as agents of vertical accountability; title: Conclusions.