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has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Direct Democracy: Chances and Challenges

  AUTHORS: Gebhard Kirchgässner

  KEYWORDS: Direct Democracy, Referendum, Initiative, Human Rights, Economic Reforms, Fiscal Sustainability

  JOURNAL NAME: Open Journal of Political Science, Vol.6 No.2, April 27, 2016

  ABSTRACT: This paper discusses several problems of direct popular decisions that are often overlooked in political and scientific debates. 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, however, 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.