Policymaking by Referendum in Palau
Grassroots Democracy or Political Paralysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11068440 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Larry N Gerston (San Jose State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1989 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 175-185 |
| Publication date | 1989-12-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Asian Affairs An American Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0092-7678 • E-ISSN: 1940-1590 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00927678.1989.10553608 |
| OpenAlex | W2322456847 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 3 |
Among the many mechanisms connecting citizens and leaders, it is the referendum that has emerged as a valuable political tool. Formal solicitation of voter sentiment at the ballot booth gives elected officials crucial information about public values.' At the same time, citizens participate in political decisions that may have a profound effect on the future of their society. Historically, the referendum, or plebiscite, was employed by dictators as an emotional device to shore up support for controversial decisions. Thus, when Napoleon felt threatened from within, he conducted (somewhat transparent) votes of confidence via the referendum.2 During the fascist regimes in Germany and Italy, Hitler and Mussolini employed the referendum to demonstrate widespread domestic support of their policies.3 In modern times, the referendum has often served as a policymaking instrument for significant public issues, going far beyond the artificial support of a particular regime. One study points to the utilization of the referendum in at least seventeen countries since 1945. In some places-such as Belgium, Colombia, Norway, and Turkey-it has been used only once; alternatively, Switzerland has employed the referendum as a policymaking conduit on more than 160 occasions.4 Perhaps the most recent example of a truly influential referendum was the Chilean decision in 1988 on whether to continue under the authoritarian regime of President Augusto Pinochet or to choose a new president through the competitive electoral process. On this occasion (although it has not yet been implemented), the plebiscite became a vehicle to replace one form of government with another
Authoritarianism · Ballot · Democracy · Government (linguistics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public opinion · Public support · Referendum · Sociology · Voting · Law · Political Systems and Governance · Public Administration
| Citations per year | 0.15 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2013 - 2016 (4) |
| Highly cited | No |