The potentials of Direct Democracy

1
The potentials of Direct Democracy

• Amsterdam november 8 th 2002
• Andreas Gross, Zuerich/St.Ursanne
• www.andigross.ch

2
Every democracy is unfinished

• Democracy may be deepened (Pol. )
• Democracy may become finer (Repres. )
• Democracy may be enlarged (Nat. )

3
Direct Democracy (DD) is not to be identified
with

•  plebiscitaryan  democracy
• anti-parliamentarian politics
• an element of demagogy
• direct elections of politicians

4
Direct Democracy (DD) (Propositions referendums
peoples votes)is able to make

• Politics more communicative
• May bring politics closer to the people
• opens politics to other people and other issues
• enforces more collective learning processes to
  all sides

5
In order to enable DD (Propositions referendums
peoples votes)to realise this, it has to be
well designed

• You should need not more than 1 3
• The gathering of the sign. has to be free
• No issues should be excluded
• Do not try to save time
• no special majority requirements
• interaction, not confrontation, with Parliament

6
DD on local and regional level is a condition to
restore confidence in democracy in order to
constitute DD on the national and European level

• DD reduces apathy
• DD reduces cynism
• DD restores trust in yourself and others
• DD reduces the personalization of politics and
  opens the public sphere to the essential
  questions of the society and our times

7
DD is not only a way to make decisions, but also
a way to

• see more (mirror)
• to understand better
• to be heard and listened to
• to be taken more seriously

8
Direct Democracy (DD) is a little bit less
unfinished then the indirect democracy which is
an essential part of DD

• Better distribution of power
• more modern notion of citizen
• Differenciates politics and political decisions
• Creates more communication and learning
• softest way to integrate people

9
The project of democracy in the US- and F -
Revolutions

• Citizens are not consumers but political actors
• Freedom means to be able to act and not to have
  to live life as destiny

10
The democratic paradox of this turning of the
century

• In the same moment where democracy globally
  became the only legitimate source of power
• democracy is in a deep crises with four
  dimensions Level / Form / Concept/
• Under - estimation of the actors