Fossedal Gregory (2005) Direct Democracy in Switzerland Transaction Publishers
Only one
country in the world--Switzerland--is a direct democracy, in which, to an
extent, the people pass their own laws, judge the constitutionality of
statutes, and even have written, in effect, their own constitution. In this
propitious volume, Gregory Fossedal reports on the politics and social fabric
of what James Bryce has called "the nation that has taken the democratic
idea to its furthest extent." The lessons Fossedal presents, at a time of
dissatisfaction with the role of money and privileged elites in many Western
democracies, are at once timely and urgent.
Altman David (2010) Direct Democracy Worldwide. Cambridge
University Press
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.
Kaplan Temma (2004) Taking Back the Streets: Women, Youth, and
Direct Democracy. University
of California Press
Toward the
end of the twentieth century in places ranging from Latin America and the
Caribbean to Europe, the United States, South Africa, Nigeria, Iran, Japan,
China, and South Asia, women and young people took to the streets to fight
injustices they believed they could not confront in any other way. In the hope
of changing the way politics is done, they called officials to account for
atrocities they had committed and unjust laws they had upheld. They attempted
to drive authoritarian governments from power by publicizing the activities
these officials tried to hide. This powerful book takes us into the midst of
these movements to give us a close-up look at how a new generation bore witness
to human rights violations, resisted the efforts of regimes to shame and
silence young idealists, and created a vibrant public life that remains a vital
part of ongoing struggles for democracy and justice today.
Through personal interviews, newspaper accounts, family letters, and research in the archives of human rights groups, this book portrays women and young people from Argentina, Chile, and Spain as emblematic of others around the world in their public appeals for direct democracy. An activist herself, author Temma Kaplan gives readers a deep and immediate sense of the sacrifices and accomplishments, the suffering and the power of these uncommon common people. By showing that mobilizations, sometimes accompanied by shaming rituals, were more than episodic—more than ways for societies to protect themselves against government abuses and even state terrorism—her book envisions a creative political sphere, a fifth estate in which ordinary citizens can reorient the political practices of democracy in our time.
Through personal interviews, newspaper accounts, family letters, and research in the archives of human rights groups, this book portrays women and young people from Argentina, Chile, and Spain as emblematic of others around the world in their public appeals for direct democracy. An activist herself, author Temma Kaplan gives readers a deep and immediate sense of the sacrifices and accomplishments, the suffering and the power of these uncommon common people. By showing that mobilizations, sometimes accompanied by shaming rituals, were more than episodic—more than ways for societies to protect themselves against government abuses and even state terrorism—her book envisions a creative political sphere, a fifth estate in which ordinary citizens can reorient the political practices of democracy in our time.
Gerber Elisabeth, Lupia Arthur (2000) Stealing the Initiative: How State Government Responds to Direct
Democracy. Pearson
This book
uses eleven recent California initiatives and referendums to provide readers
with a set of analytical tools and examples that will help them better
understand real politics. It clarifies the public consequences, and studies the
great variations of what happens to initiatives that win on Election Day and
withstand judicial review. Research is presented in an effective and efficient
manner, along with key factors that lead policy actors to implement and enforce
initiatives and referendums fully, partially, and not at all--a social
phenomenon that affects our lives in fundamental ways. A wide range of policy
areas cover tobacco tax, transportation, legislative spending provision, term
limits provision, open primaries, and bilingual education. This book also
includes varied conclusions about how to reform the initiative process to
improve direct democracy. For citizens who want to understand and/or increase
their role in government
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