- The State and State-Building
- Development of Civil Society
- Economic Institutions
- Exclusion, Inclusion, and Political Institutions
- Analyzing Constitutions
- Comparative Constitutions
- American Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
- Comparative Federalism
- Territorial Institutions
- Executives—The American Presidency
- Executives In Parliamentary Government
- Comparative Executive–Legislative Relations
- Public Bureaucracies
- The Welfare State
- The Regulatory State?
- Legislative Organization
- Comparative Legislative Behavior
- Bicameralism
- Comparative Local Governance
- Judicial Institutions
- The Judicial Process and Public Policy
- Political Parties In and Out of Legislatures
- Electoral Systems
- Direct Democracy
- International Political Institutions
- International Security Institutions: Rules, Tools, Schools, or Fools?
- International Economic Institutions
- International NGOs
Abstract and Keywords
This article examines direct democracy, starting with a discussion on democracy and direct democracy. The following section identifies varieties of direct democracy before addressing the question of whether direct democracy weakens political parties or not. It discusses the procedures of direct democracy, specifically referendum and initiative. The last two sections of the article focus on the policy areas that are covered by popular voting and setting parameters for a realistic debate about direct democracy.
Keywords: direct democracy, varieties, political parties, procedures, referendum, initiative, popular voting, parameters, debate
Ian Budge is Professor in the Department of Government, University of Essex.
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- The State and State-Building
- Development of Civil Society
- Economic Institutions
- Exclusion, Inclusion, and Political Institutions
- Analyzing Constitutions
- Comparative Constitutions
- American Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
- Comparative Federalism
- Territorial Institutions
- Executives—The American Presidency
- Executives In Parliamentary Government
- Comparative Executive–Legislative Relations
- Public Bureaucracies
- The Welfare State
- The Regulatory State?
- Legislative Organization
- Comparative Legislative Behavior
- Bicameralism
- Comparative Local Governance
- Judicial Institutions
- The Judicial Process and Public Policy
- Political Parties In and Out of Legislatures
- Electoral Systems
- Direct Democracy
- International Political Institutions
- International Security Institutions: Rules, Tools, Schools, or Fools?
- International Economic Institutions
- International NGOs
