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Government by Referendum

Matt Qvortrup

$22.99

Paperback

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English
Manchester Univ. Press
14 March 2018
Series: Pocket Politics
Referendums are ubiquitous; from Brexit in the United Kingdom in 2016 to same-sex marriage in Australia in 2017 Why are referendums held at all? And when they are held, why are they won or lost? Moreover, what are the consequences of having referendums? Do they strengthen or weaken democracy? Are they mainly won or mainly lost or do they strengthen populist leaders? Or, are referendums a shield against demagogues and overeager politicians? Government by Referendum analyses why politicians sometime submit issues to the people Based on an historical analysis, but with an emphasis on the last two decades, the book shows that referendums often have been lost by powerful politicians. While sometimes used by autocrats, mechanisms of direct democracy have increasingly performed the function of democratic constitutional safeguards in developed democracies.
By:  
Imprint:   Manchester Univ. Press
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 198mm,  Width: 129mm,  Spine: 6mm
Weight:   118g
ISBN:   9781526130037
ISBN 10:   1526130033
Series:   Pocket Politics
Pages:   104
Publication Date:  
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Primary ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Introduction 1. The World History of Referendums 2. The History of the Referendum in Britain 3. Brexit Campaign: The Anatomy of a Bitter Divorce 4. The Myth of Populist Referendums Conclusion Index -- .

Matt Qvortrup is Professor of Political Science at Coventry University and James Walston Chair of International Relations at the American University of Rome -- .

Reviews for Government by Referendum

'Referendums are increasingly capturing the headlines. Not always for good reasons. While the referendum might have a place as a constitutional safe-guard, Professor Matt Qvortrup's outstanding analysis shows that they can be dangerous when politicians call them for selfish and tactical reasons'. Arend Lijphart, University of California, San Diego, Author of Patterns of Democracy and former President of the American Political Science Association 'Government by Referendum. is full of interesting information and thought-provoking observations.' Chris Stafford, LSE Review of Books -- .


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