Direct Democracy: Chances and Challenges

Gebhard Kirchgaessner ()
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Gebhard Kirchgässner

No 1513, Economics Working Paper Series from University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science

Abstract: This paper discusses several problems of direct popular decisions. In the first part, we consider problems related to the functioning of direct democracy. As a political system it only makes sense if there exists a continuous process and not if only occasional single questions are brought to a referendum. Then, the relation between direct democracy and the rule of unanimity is discussed, a subject of special relevance to the European Union, before we consider the role of quorums. In the second part, some areas are considered in which conflicts might arise. Results of initiatives might be incompatible with individual human rights or might endanger fiscal sustainability, and referenda might impede economic reforms. All these problems, how-ever, do not justify a general rejection of direct popular rights. Thus, we conclude by listing several points that should be observed to safeguard the well-functioning of direct democracy.

Keywords: Direct democracy; referendum; initiative; human rights; economic re-forms; fiscal sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 35 pages
Date: 2015-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm and nep-pol
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http://ux-tauri.unisg.ch/RePEc/usg/econwp/EWP-1513.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Direct Democracy: Chances and Challenges (2015)
Working Paper: Direct Democracy: Chances and Challenges (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:usg:econwp:2015:13

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