Referendums Around the World The Continued Growth of Direct Democracy

Referendums Around the World is a ground breaking empirical study. A successor to David Butler and Austin Ranney's classic, the present volume surveys all referendums held worldwide since since 1793. Unlike its predecessor, in this edition, Dr Qvortrup and a cast of outstanding contributors provide a thorough account of the pros and cons of referendums, the reason why politicians have submitted issues to referendums and the consequences of letting the people decide. Covering countries and regimes ranging from developed democracies to autocratic regimes, the book is a tour de force of referendums written by some of the world's foremost experts on the subject.

Matt Qvortrup is Senior Lecturer and Academic Director of Political Science and International Relations, University of Cranfield, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, UK. Described by the BBC as 'the world's leading expert on referendums', Matt Qvortrup has published several books on referendums. The winner of the PSA Prize for best article in 2012, he is a former advisor to the US State Department.

1.Introduction: Theory, Practice and History; Matt Qvortrup
2. Referendums in Russia, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe; Ronald J. Hill and Stephen White
3.Referendums in Western Europe; Matt Qvortrup
4.Referendums in Switzerland; Uwe Serdült
5.Referendums and Initiatives in North America; Todd Donovan
6.Referendums in Latin America; David Altman
7.Referendums in Africa; Norbert Kersting
8.Referendums in Asia; Masahiro Kobori
9.Referendums in Oceania; Caroline Morris
10. Conclusion; Matt Qvortrup