The Politics of Direct Democracy: Referendums in Global Perspective.,
Lawrence LeDuc., Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview. 2003, pp. 214.
The 1980s marked a watershed in the evolution of liberal democracy. On
the global front the principles of liberal democracy were successfully
used as battering rams to demolish the walls erected by its powerful Cold
War rival—socialism. Our side declared victory and the end of
ideological conflict. And yet in its struggle with socialism liberal
democracy planted the seeds for its own transformation—it was hoist
with its own petard. A new consensus emerged. Our elections were also a
sham, parties provided little or no meaningful choice, and legislators
were unrepresentative, unresponsive and unaccountable. On major
constitutional and moral issues there was gridlock. From the left came
calls for “people power” and more inclusive and empowering
institutions. From the right came calls for privatizing the State and
reducing the autonomy of elected officials and the “special
interests” who controlled it. Enter the referendum as a way of
addressing this “democratic deficit.” Why not let the people
decide?