Search results for ""Author Anna Forgács""
Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd Referendum Authorization Procedures in Europe: A Comparative Analysis
Exploring the referendum practices of eight European states, this book unpacks the intricacies of the institutional and procedural settings of referendum authorization to reach an equilibrium between the exercise of popular sovereignty and the protection of rule of law. The book also examines how, by authorizing certain issues and refusing others, state institutions can exercise considerable control over the whole referendum process.Outlining how the rise of populist political parties and governments in Europe has brought direct democracy to the fore, this future-oriented book highlights four procedural guarantees that are compatible with democratic referendum authorization procedures. These include the independence and impartiality of the decision-maker, the right to a reasoned decision, the right to be heard and the right to an effective remedy. Using comparative analysis and data collection, the book demonstrates why these guarantees are minimum requirements to ensure that the rights of the initiators and voters are represented in the procedure and therefore reduce the risk of arbitrary decision-making.This state-of-the-art title will be an invaluable resource for academics and students of constitutional and administrative law, politics and public policy. With its practical application, governmental policy-makers and practitioners will benefit widely from the book.
£90.00
Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd The Legal Limits of Direct Democracy: A Comparative Analysis of Referendums and Initiatives across Europe
With the rise of direct-democratic instruments, the relationship between popular sovereignty and the rule of law is set to become one of the defining political issues of our time. This important and timely book provides an in-depth analysis of the limits imposed on referendums and citizens’ initiatives, as well as of systems of reviewing compliance with these limits, in 11 European states.Chapters explore and lay the scientific basis for answering crucial questions such as ‘Where should the legal limits of direct democracy be drawn?’ and ‘Who should review compliance with these limits?’ Providing a comparative analysis of the different issues in the selected countries, the book draws out key similarities and differences, as well as an assessment of the law and the practice at national levels when judged against the international standards contained in the Venice Commission’s Guidelines on the Holding of Referendums.Presenting an up-to-date analysis of the relationship between popular sovereignty and the rule of law, The Legal Limits of Direct Democracy will be a key resource for scholars and students in comparative and constitutional law and political science. It will also be beneficial to policy-makers and practitioners in parliaments, governments and election commissions, and experts working for international organisations.
£109.00