The Routledge Handbook to Referendums and Direct Democracy

•their history;

•when, why, where, how and on which issues referendums are held;

•why some referendums are more democratic than others;

•how referendums are won;

•whether they produce good policies;

•if referendums increase participation and improve the quality of representative democracies;

•do referendums increase trust in democracy and the political actors;

•the impact of new technology on the possibilities, methods and frequency of direct public political participation;

•how they should be regulated.

Covering other related areas such as recall, citizen juries and random selection, this compendium is an indispensable guide to referendums and the workings of modern democracy.