I&R

citizens' initiative and referendum

SELECTED READING AND RESOURCES

BRITAIN
GERMANY
ITALY
NETHERLANDS
POLAND
SWITZERLAND
GENERAL RESOURCES

 
BRITAIN

Full democracy. Survey published in The Economist, widely cited and re-printed. By Brian Beedham

Prospects for more democracy in Great Britain. Draft essay and report by Michael Macpherson Download

THE LEGAL BASIS FOR NATIONAL REFERENDUMS IN BRITAIN  Compendium of contributions to an online discussion in the British university fora Law-public and Public-administration-and-management. You can find some informative letters, international comparisons and literature references. Questions arise from this discussion such as: If a referendum on whether to join "Euroland" is held, will the result be binding or just advisory? What are the chances to introduce legally regulated elements of direct democracy, such as citizens' initiative and referendum, in Great Britain and Northern Ireland? Click on the title to reach the compendium.

NEWS Bring power back under control: This crisis can only be overcome by sweeping democratic reforms. Michael Meacher The Guardian October 6, 2004

GERMANY

OVERVIEW PAPER by Ralph Kampwirth

More direct democracy on the local and the Länder levels? Some notes on the recent development in the German Länder and in Berlin. By Hellmut Wollmann

Mehr direkte Demokratie in Landes- und Kommunalpolitik. Bleibt Berlin Schlusslicht? Von Hellmut Wollmann

Campaign: Mehr Demokratie e.V. (More Democracy) Web site with rich resources.

ITALY

See report of IRI Europe with chapter about Italy by Roland Erne, and much literature at the Centre for Study of Direct Democracy, Geneva.

NEWS Italians force referendum on fertility law
Sophie Arie in Rome. The Guardian Friday October 1, 2004

NETHERLANDS

Overview by Arjen Nijeboer

Initiative and referendum, Amsterdam

POLAND

Auer, Andreas et Michael Bützer (eds.), Direct Democracy: the Eastern and Central European Experience, London, Ashgate (ed.), 2001, pp. 382

Contact: Dept. Comparative Politics, University of Potsdam, FRG.
Prof. Herbert Döring.

SWITZERLAND

Kris W. Kobach (Yale University), The Referendum: Direct Democracy in Switzerland. Dartmouth Publishing Co. (England & Vermont) 1993 ISBN 1-85521-397-4

Direct Democracy in Switzerland Much on-line information. A DVD may be obtained from Swiss embassies and from IRI Europe.

Overview by Paul Ruppen

GENERAL RESOURCES

Direct Democracy in Europe. Edited by Bruno Kaufmann and M. Dane Waters.
Carolina Academic Press. ISBN 0-89089-262-8  Online version

Centre for Study of Direct Democracy, Geneva
 
 



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