Abstract
This chapter is concerned with the use of the referendum device as a mechanism for constitutional change. Such an institutional mechanism is grounded in democratic constitutional theory and is a well-established part of some constitutional democracies. Current interest in direct democracy is mainly focused on popular initiatives and referendums as alternative mechanisms to ordinary decision making by representatives. Such ‘unmediated popular voting’ is supported by some as a purer form of democratic participation that cuts out the mediation of representatives, or what economists might call the transaction costs of indirectness (Budge, 1996, chapter 2) on issues such as immigration or taxation. Such referendums might be seen as being in conflict with, or narrowing the scope for, the normal decision making of representative democracy.
Keywords
- Direct Democracy
- Representative Democracy
- Legislative Power
- Constitutional Change
- Constitutional Democracy
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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© 2001 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
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Galligan, B. (2001). Amending Constitutions through the Referendum Device. In: Mendelsohn, M., Parkin, A. (eds) Referendum Democracy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403900968_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403900968_6
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-42384-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4039-0096-8
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