The worry was that new rules would make life impossible for citizen campaigners, who rely on human contact and rallies to launch initiatives.
Direct Democracy and Ballot Initiatives articles on Democracy Chronicles
This section has the latest DC news on direct democracy, a form of pure democracy whereby people decide policy initiatives directly as opposed to through a representative. Cooperatives (Co-ops), Democratic Workplaces, Collectives, Communes, Intentional Communities. Referendums and Ballot Initiatives are also featured right here. Also see our section on American democracy and get more info at Voting Methods Central.
Sources of resilience: Democracy ‘contains seeds of its own recovery’
Some have warned that populist drives are likely to cause democracies to die. However, democracy contains the seeds of its own recovery.
How people power builds democratic resilience
A new perspective looks at the role of people activism in shaping democracy. It argues that it plays a key role in building democratic resilience.
Why doesn’t people power work like it used to?
“People power, which democratized countries from South Korea and Poland in the 1980s to Georgia and Ukraine in the 2000s and Tunisia in 2010, has been on a losing streak”, perspective.
Is Direct Democracy the Cure for What Ails the Nation?
Allowing Americans to vote, by referendum, on the biggest issues wouldn’t be legally challenging or risky.
Civil society sources of Ukraine’s resilience
Ukraine is geopolitically sandwiched between European democracy and Russian kleptocracy. Its civil society remains its best chance to fight-off the latter.
The people, not Congress, should vote to impeach or acquit the President
The partisan nature of the impeachment process is the stamp of America’s flawed democracy. The people, not Congress should be the ones to impeach or acquit.
Belgium’s experiment in permanent forms of deliberative democracy
The parliament of the Region of Brussels in Belgium amended its internal regulations to allow the formation of ‘deliberative committees’.
Renewing democracy: how to “allow for participation without populism”
Populism erodes participation. An interesting new article examines views espoused by key experts on how to allow for participation without populism.
Boris Johnson says he will not negotiate delay with EU despite UK parliament blocking deal vote
Boris Johnson will have to ask EU to delay Brexit after Parliament blocks vote on Brexit deal. However, the British PM said he won’t negotiate a delay.