Referendums and representative democracy [[electronic resource] ] : responsiveness, accountability and deliberation / / edited by Maija Setälä and Theo Schiller

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910455155303321
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: London, : Routledge, 2009
• ISBN: 1-135-21506-5; 1-282-25642-4; 9786612256424; 0-203-87342-4
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (246 p.)
• Collana: Routledge/ECPR studies in European political science ; ; 62
• Altri autori (Persone): SetäläMaija; SchillerTheo
• Disciplina: 328.2/3
• Soggetti: Referendum; Representative government and representation; Electronic books.
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Book Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; Illustrations; Contributors; Series editor's preface; Acknowledgements; 1 Introduction; Part I Referendums and models democracy; 2 From people's veto to instrument of elite consensus: The referendum experience in Ireland; 3 Stabilizing or destabilizing?: Direct- democratic instruments in different political systems; 4 Ideological positions and the referendum in the Netherlands; Part II The demand for referendums: Strategies and ideologies; 5 To structure political conflict: The institutionalization of referendums on European integration in the Nordic countries6 Elite motives for initiating referendums: Avoidance, addition and contradiction; 7 The surge of referendums and the New Politics approach; Part III Referendum campaigns and voter behaviour; 8 Campaign tactics and outcomes in referendums: A comparative analysis; 9 Intense but useless?: Public debate and voting factors in two referendums in Spain; 10 Checks and balances in Swiss direct democracy; Conclusions; Index
• Sommario/riassunto: This volume analyses how the use of referendums affects the central functions and characteristics of representative democracy. It provides a balanced account of the interaction between referendums and representative institutions and actors, seeking to evaluate whether referendums supplement or undermine representative democracy. Considering both normative and empirical questions, the volume also examines the particular circumstances under which referendums strengthen or weaken representative democracy. Providing a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches used in the study