Publisher's Synopsis
The use of referendum/initiative process has grown dramatically in Western democracies in the 20th century. This study takes a philosophical, historical and comparative approach to elucidate this development in democratic theory and international politics. After exploring the theoretical justification of direct democracy and the history of its growth, the authors develop several propositions regarding the efficacy and consequences of referendum voting on international issues. They then use those propostions to structure discussions of specific referendums, including votes in France (on Algeria), Quebec, Scotland, Wales, regions of Spain, Cameroon, and Jamaica on questions of national status and territory; the European Community referendums; Spain's vote on joining NATO; and Switzerland's vote on UN membership. International issues are also decided occasionally by general elections, in cases where candidates' stands on controversial international questions are a major factor in a campaign. Illustrating this, the authors focus on the 1988 election in Denmark (at issue was the acceptance of NATO warships in Danish ports) and the 1988 vote in Canada centering in the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. The penultimate chapter covers the nonbinding local referendums held in the United States, such as the nuclear freeze initiatives of 1982, and the book concludes with an assessment of the future of referendums in international politics, with some proposals for further research.
