Direct democracy and subjective regime legitimacy in Europe

Gherghina, S. (2017) Direct democracy and subjective regime legitimacy in Europe. Democratization, 24(4), pp. 613-631. (doi: 10.1080/13510347.2016.1196355)

Abstract

While much research focuses on the causes and consequences of direct democracy and regime legitimacy, little attention has been paid to the potential relationship between them. In an attempt to fill this void, this paper focuses on the legal provisions for direct democracy and its use. The key argument is that possibilities for the public’s direct involvement reflect high importance given to citizens, openness of the regime towards different modes of decision-making, and ways to avoid unpopular institutions. Consequently, citizens are likely to accept and support the regime, improving or maintaining its legitimacy. The cross-national analysis includes 38 European countries ranging from transition countries to established democracies. It uses bivariate statistical analysis and country-level data collected from legislation, secondary sources, and aggregate surveys.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Gherghina, Dr Sergiu
• Authors: Gherghina, S.
• Subjects: J Political Science > JA Political science (General); J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General)
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: Democratization
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1351-0347
• ISSN (Online): 1743-890X
• Published Online: 16 June 2016
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor and Francis Group
• First Published: First published in Democratization 24(4):613-631
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy