The Economist-Survey of 21.12.1996 about "Direct Democracy (and Switzerland)"
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Among the books that helped the writing of this survey were "Referendums around the World" edited by David Butler and Austin Ranney (Macmillan), "Swiss Democracy" by Wolf Linder (St Martin's Press), "The New Challenge of Direct Democracy" by Ian…
2. Dezember 1996
IN AN EQUAL AND ELECTRONIC WORLD, THE UNEQUAL OLD STEAM-ENGINE WON'T WORK
Why the time for change has come. THE argument for direct democracy is not just a matter of beating off the mostly unconvincing objections its opponents throw at it. The bigger part of the argument consists of pointing out that the world has changed…
2. Dezember 1996
IT MEANS GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE, AND WE ARE THE PEOPLE.
Democracy in the 20th century has been a half-finished thing. In the 21st, it can grow to its full height, says Brian Beedham THIS survey argues that the next big change in human affairs will probably not be a matter of economics, or electronics, or…
2. Dezember 1996
RULERS AND RULED NO LONGER - THE END OF A DIVIDING LINE
IT WOULD be wrong, however, to rest the case for direct democracy on utilitarian grounds alone. To vote directly on the issues of the day is more efficient than to delegate the issue-deciding job to a bunch of representatives, because it almost…
2. Dezember 1996
SOME OF THE SWISS DO IT EVEN MORE DIRECTLY - HERE IS HOW IT CAN BE DONE BETTER.
IF THIS does not sound quite like the way your own national government operates, take a look at the next level down in Swiss politics. The country's 26 cantons (six of them technically "half-cantons", but for all practical purposes separate…
2. Dezember 1996
TAKE SWITZERLAND FOR BOTH A MODEL AND A WARNING - SO LONG AS IT'S CLEAR WHO'S IN CHARGE.
THE first lesson from Switzerland is that direct democracy is hard work. The second is that, though it makes politicians less important than they like to be, it does not remove the need for an intelligent parliament; the system works most…
2. Dezember 1996
THE CHALLENGE THE VOTERS MUST NOT DUCK - THE UNDERCLASS-TEST
THE serious worry is whether deciding things by a vote of the whole people is the best way of looking after an unhappy minority of the people. The worry grows when one particular bunch of unhappy people looks like getting stuck indefinitely at the…
2. Dezember 1996