Direct Democracy And Minority Rights

Author : Daniel Lewis
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 138 pages
File Size : 46,8 Mb
Release : 2013-01-04
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781136269349

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Direct Democracy and Minority Rights by Daniel Lewis Pdf

This book conclusively demonstrates that direct democracy—institutions like the ballot initiative and the referendum—endangers the rights of minorities and perpetuates a tyranny of the majority. While advocates of direct democracy advocate that these institutions protect citizens from corrupt lawmakers beholden to special interests, Daniel Lewis’s thorough investigation shows how such mass participation exposes minority groups to negative policy outcomes favored by only a slim majority of voters. Some would argue that greater democratic responsiveness is a positive outcome, but without the checks and balances of a representative, separated powers system that encourages deliberation and minority representation, minority rights are at increased risk under direct democracy institutions. While research has been presented that supports both sides of the debate, the existing literature has yet to produce consistent and compelling evidence in favor of one side or the other. This book undertakes a comprehensive examination of the "tyranny of the majority" critique of direct democracy by examining a host of contemporary American state policies that affect the rights of a variety of minority groups. By assessing the impact of direct democracy on both ballot measures and traditional legislation, the book provides a more complete picture of how citizen legislative institutions can affect minority rights, covering a myriad of contemporary (and sometimes controversial) minority rights issues, including same-sex marriage, affirmative action, official English, hate crimes laws, racial profiling, and anti-discrimination laws. The book is unique in its approach and scope, making it compelling for scholars interested in direct democracy, state politics, minority politics and electoral institutions, as well as American politics generally.

Author : Wilfried Marxer
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 254 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 2012-02-27
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9783531943046

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Direct Democracy and Minorities by Wilfried Marxer Pdf

Modern direct democracy has become an essential element of political life in many countries in Europe and worldwide. The initiative and referendum process offers extra channels for citizen participation and thus represents an important supplementary institution in modern democracies. This third volume of the series Direct Democracy in Modern Europe focuses on direct-democratic decisions on minority affairs. The main question is whether direct democracy tends towards a domination of the majority over a minority, producing new conflicts, or whether, how, and under what conditions it helps to solve problems in complex societies and leads to lasting solutions to political disputes. This volume includes articles by specialist researchers on - historical experiences of direct-democratic decisions on territorial conflicts; - theoretical considerations on direct democracy and minorities; - case studies on popular votes concerning minority issues; - several country case studies; - the role of the media in direct-democratic campaigns on minority affairs; - the potential of transnational direct democracy.

Author : Daniel C. Lewis
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 376 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2008
Category : Direct democracy
ISBN : MSU:31293029567959

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Majority Rule by Daniel C. Lewis Pdf

Author : Thomas E. Cronin
Publisher : iUniverse
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : Populism
ISBN : UCSC:32106015048710

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Direct Democracy by Thomas E. Cronin Pdf

Author : John G. Matsusaka
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 312 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2022-04-26
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780691199740

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Let the People Rule by John G. Matsusaka Pdf

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.

Author : Daniel C. Lewis
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 138 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2013
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780415537438

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Direct Democracy and Minority Rights by Daniel C. Lewis Pdf

This book conclusively demonstrates that direct democracy—institutions like the ballot initiative and the referendum—endangers the rights of minorities and perpetuates a tyranny of the majority. While advocates of direct democracy advocate that these institutions protect citizens from corrupt lawmakers beholden to special interests, Daniel Lewis’s thorough investigation shows how such mass participation exposes minority groups to negative policy outcomes favored by only a slim majority of voters. Some would argue that greater democratic responsiveness is a positive outcome, but without the checks and balances of a representative, separated powers system that encourages deliberation and minority representation, minority rights are at increased risk under direct democracy institutions. While research has been presented that supports both sides of the debate, the existing literature has yet to produce consistent and compelling evidence in favor of one side or the other. This book undertakes a comprehensive examination of the "tyranny of the majority" critique of direct democracy by examining a host of contemporary American state policies that affect the rights of a variety of minority groups. By assessing the impact of direct democracy on both ballot measures and traditional legislation, the book provides a more complete picture of how citizen legislative institutions can affect minority rights, covering a myriad of contemporary (and sometimes controversial) minority rights issues, including same-sex marriage, affirmative action, official English, hate crimes laws, racial profiling, and anti-discrimination laws. The book is unique in its approach and scope, making it compelling for scholars interested in direct democracy, state politics, minority politics and electoral institutions, as well as American politics generally.

Author : John Haskell
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 204 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2018-03-05
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780429980619

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Direct Democracy Or Representative Government? Dispelling The Populist Myth by John Haskell Pdf

In Direct Democracy or Representative Government? John Haskell develops a devastating critique of direct democracy by exposing the central flaw in populist thinking. Contrary to the beliefs of populist advocates of direct democracy, the popular will cannot be interpreted from the results of the plebiscite. John Haskell presents a defense of representative institutions that brings to bear, in an understandable way, the findings of public choice scholars. Haskell covers the clash of ideas between populists and constitutionalists throughout American history. He follows the development of direct democracy during the twentieth century, especially the dramatically increased use of initiatives and referenda in the last decade. As Americans become increasingly frustrated with the workings of the institutions of government at the state and national levels, and as populist ideas gain greater currency, new forms of direct and participatory democracy making use of the latest computer technology appeal to more people. Haskell speculates as to the likely future direction of direct democracy in the U.S. He describes in clear language the fundamental problem with the premise of populist thinking and explains why direct democracy presents a threat to minority rights and only promises irresponsible and unaccountable governance.

Author : Andrew Ellis ,Carlos Navarro ,Isabel Morales ,Maria Gratschew, Nadja Braun
Publisher : International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)
Page : 297 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2007-11-14
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9789185391660

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Voting from Abroad by Andrew Ellis ,Carlos Navarro ,Isabel Morales ,Maria Gratschew, Nadja Braun Pdf

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.

Author : David Altman
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 283 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2019
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781108496636

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Citizenship and Contemporary Direct Democracy by David Altman Pdf

Offers a comparative study of the origins, performance, and reform of contemporary mechanisms of direct democracy.

Author : M. Mendelsohn,A. Parkin
Publisher : Springer
Page : 277 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2001-09-25
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781403900968

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Referendum Democracy by M. Mendelsohn,A. Parkin Pdf

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 : Richard Johnston
Publisher : McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Page : 358 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0773515054

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The Challenge of Direct Democracy by Richard Johnston Pdf

In October 1992 Canada's political leaders asked voters to accept the Charlottetown Accord, a comprehensive package of constitutional amendments that was the product of years of negotiation, consultation, and compromise. Canadians rejected it outright, effectively halting the country's formal constitutional evolution. But what did the No vote mean? Were voters making a considered judgment after thorough consideration of the package or were they expressing their anger with politicians, particularly Prime Minister Brian Mulroney? The Challenge of Direct Democracy provides the definitive account of the 1992 referendum on the Charlottetown Accord.

Author : Shaun Bowler,Todd Donovan,Caroline Tolbert,Caroline J. Tolbert
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Political Science
ISBN : UOM:39015045612135

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Citizens as Legislators by Shaun Bowler,Todd Donovan,Caroline Tolbert,Caroline J. Tolbert Pdf

Early in the twentieth century, many American states began experimenting with direct democracy. Direct democracy-primarily the initiative device-allows groups to place directly before voters laws affecting taxation, spending, term limits, school choice, gay rights, immigration, and numerous other state issues. Ballot initiatives were expected to allow citizens the option of getting around legislators, who were seen as beholden to wealthy interests; early defenders of the process argued it would make state politics more responsive to the public will, and more responsible. Citizens as Legislators examines direct democracy in America at the end of the twentieth century to see if it has lived up to these expectations. The twelve contributors to this volume use the American experience with direct democracy to investigate some fundamental questions of politics: Can modern democracy have direct citizen participation in legislation? What are the consequences of more (or less) direct citizen access to government? The authors look at the context of the initiative campaigns and detail the rise of the modern initiative campaign industry. They examine how campaigns affect voters and how voters deal with the array of decisions they face in direct democracy states. They go on to explain why certain policy outcomes are different in direct democracy states. Shaun Bowler is a professor of political science at the University of California, Riverside. Todd Donovan is a professor of Political Science at Western Washington University. He and Shaun Bowler are coauthors of Demanding Choices: Opinion, Voting, and Direct Democracy. Caroline J. Tolbert is an assistant professor of political science at Kent State University.

Author : David Altman
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 265 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2010-12-20
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781139495431

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Direct Democracy Worldwide by David Altman Pdf

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.

Author : Laurence Morel,Matt Qvortrup
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 710 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2017-12-12
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781351360715

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The Routledge Handbook to Referendums and Direct Democracy by Laurence Morel,Matt Qvortrup Pdf

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.

Author : David Butler,Austin Ranney
Publisher : American Enterprise Institute
Page : 326 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 1994
Category : Education
ISBN : 0844738530

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Referendums Around the World by David Butler,Austin Ranney Pdf

Updated edition of : Referendums. c1978.