Power to the People: Empowered Democracy

• Main Authors: Tushnet, Mark, Bugarič, Bojan
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University PressNew York 2022
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197606711.003.0013; https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/57956672/oso-9780197606711-chapter-13.pdf

Abstract After explaining why populists are not committed in principle to solely plebiscitary democracy, this chapter explores recent innovations in democratic design that allow for expanded participation by the people in their own governance. A thought experiment about direct popular design of responses to the Covid-19 pandemic is followed by a detailed analysis of referendums that acknowledges some difficulties associated with them, including the possibility of bad design and the risk that majorities will override minority rights but explains that the anti-institutionalism said to be associated with populism does not preclude populists from developing and implementing “best practices” for referendums, always on an ad hoc and contextual basis. The chapter then briefly describes deliberative polling and citizen assemblies, concluding with case studies of direct popular participation in constitutional reform in Ireland and Iceland.