A Comparative Study of Referendums

"Democracy means the rule of the people. Yet in all countries, the role of the citizen is limited to periodic general elections and occasional referendums - especially in Britain where the doctrine of 'Parliamentary sovereignty' was until recently an article of faith. However, referendums are becoming an important feature of Western democracy. Citizens are increasingly being called upon to decide complex political issues by the very same people they elected to make those decisions. This study offers the first comparative assessment of the referendum, looking at its development in Britain, Europe and the United States."

"In Britain the Labour Government has proposed - and in some cases has already held - several referendums on issues ranging from devolution to the single European currency. This is far from a British phenomenon - virtually all European countries are moving towards a greater use of referendums. Should this trend be endorsed? Or should it be condemned as populism? The fundamental question which this book seeks to answer is whether referendums are a just and democratic means of increasing the role of the citizen. Do referendums threaten minorities and are they a threat to representative democracy?"

"This book gives an overview of the use of the referendum from its inception and early development to the present day and outlines the theoretical history of the referendum device. It is suitable for higher level undergraduates, academics and researchers in the fields of political theory and comparative politics."--Jacket.