The Strategic Use of Referendums : Power, Legitimacy, and Democracy

Referendums—the direct popular vote on an issue—appear to be the most democratic of decision mechanisms because the voice of the people is directly heard rather than mediated through elected representatives in legislatures. But referendums can be manipulated by elites using tactics such as timing and wording of the question submitted to a popular vote. Leaders can orchestrate referendum campaigns to their benefit while still claiming the popular legitimacy granted. This takes place in long-established democracies like France, authoritarian regimes like PinochetвЂTMs Chile, and new democracies like those among the Post-Soviet states where competition is raw, rules are new, and institutions weak. Mark Walker sheds light on the appeal and dangers of referendums and why democratic ideals are not always served.

Referendums-the direct popular vote on an issue-appear to be the most democratic of decision mechanisms because the voice of the people is directly heard rather than mediated through elected representatives in legislatures. But referendums can be manipulated by elites using tactics such as timing and wording of the question submitted to a popular vote. Leaders can orchestrate referendum campaigns to their benefit while still claiming the popular legitimacy granted. This takes place in long-established democracies like France, authoritarian regimes like Pinochet’s Chile, and new democracies like those among the Post-Soviet states where competition is raw, rules are new, and institutions weak. Mark Walker sheds light on the appeal and dangers of referendums and why democratic ideals are not always served.

Referendums - the direct popular vote on an issue - appear to be the most democratic of decision mechanisms because the voice of the people is directly heard rather than mediated through elected representatives in legislatures. But referendums can be manipulated by elites using tactics such as timing and wording of the question submitted to a popular vote. Leaders can orchestrate referendum campaigns to their benefit while still claiming the popular legitimacy granted. This takes place in long-established democracies like France, authoritarian regimes like Pinochet's Chile, and new democracies like those among the Post-Soviet states where competition is raw, rules are new, and institutions weak. Mark Walker sheds light on the appeal and dangers of referendums and why democratic ideals are not always served Walker's study is a valuable contribution to our thinking about the role of referendums in late-communist and post-communist regimes as well as France and Chile. Walker deftly examines the bargaining and power relations among institutions that generate such referendums, the results of the popular votes, and the implications of these factors for our thinking about leadership, democracy, and popular will. The book is very well written and a pleasure to read Front Matter....Pages i-x Legitimacy, Bargaining, and Power in the Use of Referendums....Pages 1-18 Referendums and Executives in France and Chile....Pages 19-48 The USSR Referendum and Republic Counter-Referendums....Pages 49-71 Bargaining and Power in Russian Referendums....Pages 73-90 Patterns in the Use of Referendums....Pages 91-116 Pros and Cons of Referendums and Democratic Theory....Pages 117-133 Back Matter....Pages 135-156 The strategic use of referendums by leaders often confers legitimacy but it may also reflect the power struggle between leaders, groups, and institutions and in doing so not provide a democratic result for the citizenry of a country.