Nuevo libro del profesor David Altman

Standing out from all other books on direct democracy, Citizenship and Contemporary Direct Democracy connects the study of direct democracy to the broader field of comparative democratization and to an important strand in normative democratic theory. Analyzing the relationship between direct democracy and representative government, this book is organized around three main sections: the origins of contemporary direct democracy, its functioning, and the ways to improve the use of direct democracy and its abuse. David Altman argues that citizen-initiated mechanisms of direct democracy constitute an important and viable way to re-invigorate current representative regimes by strengthening democracies' normative foundations - freedom and equity among citizens - which are particularly fragile in the context of unequal societies. Citizenship and Contemporary Direct Democracy demonstrates how citizen-initiated mechanisms of direct democracy empowers citizens, channels social demands, defuses violence, re-enchants citizens with politics, and breaks through some of the institutionalized barriers to accountability that arise in representative systems.

Table of Contents

1. Democratic innovations for representative governments

Part I. Origins:
2. Breaking through: the rebirth of direct democracy in the age of the national-state
3. Catching on: waves of adoption of citizen-initiated mechanisms of direct democracy since World War I

Part II. Nature:
4. Status quo bias? Political change through direct democracy
5. Left or right? Investigating potential ideological biases in contemporary direct democracy

Part III. Reform:
6. Why adopt direct democracy? Much more than a simple vote
7. How can direct democracy be improved? Citizens' commissions and citizens' counterproposals
8. Conclusions: a new democratic equilibrium

Appendices

References

Index.

 

 

Citizenship and Contemporary Direct Democracy
AUTHOR: David Altman, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
PUBLICATION PLANNED FOR: March 2019
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781108496636