Local direct democracy in Europe
Modern direct democracy has recently become an important element of political life in many countries. These developments can be observed at the national, regional, and local level of political systems. Participation and democracy in local political affairs play a major role in stabilising and developing democratic systems. This volume presents, for the first time, a broad basis of information on the wide variety of local institutions and practice of direct democracy in 19 countries. Country specialists analyse - the role of direct democracy in the institutional context and culture of national political systems, - political processes of introduction and development of initiatives and referendums, - regulations of procedures of municipal direct democracy, - practice of local direct democracy, - the contribution of local direct democracy to democratic development in general
eBook, English, ©2011
VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden, ©2011
Springer eBooks
1 online resource (292 pages)
9783531928982, 9783531182506, 3531928988, 3531182501
733542189
Preface; Local Direct Democracy in Europe
a comparative overview; 1 General considerations and structure of the book; 2 Basic developments and contexts of democracy; 3 Forms of local direct democracy; 4 Practice; 5 Conclusions
political impact and quality of local direct democracy; References; Appendix; I. Emerging Patterns; The uneasy balance between participation and represent Republic1ation: local direct democracy in the Czech Republic1; Local direct democracy in Germany
varieties in a federal state