The referendum and other essays on constitutional politics / Matt Qvortrup.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Qvortrup, Matt, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Referendum.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 205 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford, England : Hart, [2019]

Summary:

"Until recently, referendums were little used and discussed, particularly in the political landscape of the United Kingdom. After the seismic impact of the Brexit referendum, they have come to the fore as a mechanism with the potential to disrupt the status quo and radically change political direction. This book looks at the historical development of the referendum, its use in different jurisdictions, and the types of constitutional questions it seeks to address. Written in an engaging style, this offers a clear, objective overview of this important political and constitutional tool"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Preface

Contents

PART I: REFERENDUM

1. The Referendum: Non basta più

2. The World History of Referendums 1400-2018

I. Introduction

II. The Earlier History of the Referendum

III. Democracy in America 1776-87

IV. The Referendum 1789-1920

V. The Referendum in Switzerland in the Nineteenth Century

VI. The Referendums After the First World War

VII. The Referendum in the 20th Century

VIII. The Use of Referendums After 1945

IX. The Referendum in the Age of Dealignment

X. Conclusion

3. Plebiscites in Dictatorships - Voting as a Signifiant of Total Control

I. The Paucity of Plebiscite Research in Dictatorships

II. The Plebiscite as a Signifiant of Total Control

III. The Plebiscite as a Signifiant

IV. Qualitative Evidence of the Plebiscite as a Signifiant of Total Control

V. Conclusion

4. The Law and Politics of Independence Referendums

I. Once Upon a Time in Norway...

II. The Context and Development of Independence Referendums

III. Legal Recognition

IV. The Legal Argument

V. When are Referendums on Independence Recognised?

VI. Statistical Analysis

VII. Conclusion

Appendix A: Independence Referendums 1980-2017

5. Consociationalism and Direct Democracy: The Paradox of Direct Democracy and Elite Accommodation

II. Pouvoir Constituant Referendums and Consociationalism

III. The Referendum in Switzerland

IV. Optional Referendums and Consociational Democracy

V. The Period of Radicalism 1848-1919

VI. The Referendum After 1919

6. The Stupidity of the People or the Wisdom of Common Folks? Can Referendums Make Societies Richer and More Equal - or the Opposite?

II. The Evidence

III. Summing Up

7. Prediction or Prophecy: Forecasting the Outcome of EU Referendums

I. Introduction.

II. Empirical Tendencies and EU Referendums

III. Hypotheses

IV. Data and Methods

V. The Development of a Predictive Model

VI. Conclusion

Appendix A: Actual and Predicted Outcomes of Referendums 1972-2016 (Results in Red Are Outliers)

Appendix B: Ballot Questions (Emotive Words Underlined)

8. Brexit as an Inelastic Good: A Case Study in Political Economy of Referendums

II. An Economic Theory of Direct Democracy

III. The Political Economy of Brexit: Demand for an Inelastic Good

IV. The Political Economy of Bremain

V. The Framing of the Brexit Debate

VI. Other Factors: The Sociology of the Campaign

VII. Last Thoughts

PART II: CONSTITUTIONAL POLITICS

9. Comparative Constitution Making: An Introduction

I. Constitutions in History

II. Constitutions: Idealist Expressions or Pragmatic Frameworks?

III. When?

IV. How?

V. Excursus: The Role of Electoral Systems

10. The Consent of the Governed: The American Revolution and the US Constitution

II. From Colony to the Consent of the Governed

III. The War and the Articles of Confederation

IV. The Philadelphia Convention

V. Ratification

11. Total Recall: Revocation of Electoral Mandates

II. The Early History of the Recall

III. The Recall in the United States

IV. Marx and the Recall in Europe

V. Lenin and the Recall

VI. Gramsci, Luxemburg and Other Socialist Advocates of the Recall

12. Last Thoughts

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781509929306

1509929304

9781509929313

1509929312

OCLC:

1091014244