scholarly journals ‘Soft’ forms of direct democracy: Explaining the occurrence of referendum motions and advisory referendums in Finnish local government

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maija Jäske
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Direct Democracy

Swedish Local and Regional Government in a European Context

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Lidström
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
Welfare Policies ◽  
National Welfare ◽  
Welfare Model

Although Swedish local government shares a set of traits that are common to all other European local government systems, it stands out, in many respects, as unique. The particular combination of local responsibility for costly tax-financed national welfare policies, strong and mainly nationally organized political parties at local level, consistent decision-making collectivism, and a type of representative democracy that leaves little room for means of direct democracy make Sweden different. These features are intertwined, reflecting core values of the Scandinavian welfare model. Although many of them have been challenged during recent decades, popular support for the welfare system remains strong.

Current Discussions on the Question

2016 ◽  
pp. 1-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ugur Sadioglu ◽  
Kadir Dede
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Comparative Perspective ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
New Public ◽  
The Face

Subject of local governments has been attracting the attention of researchers from various disciplines in recent years. Local governments themselves and other related actors undergo a transformation in the face of new public management, good governance, direct democracy, decentralization and other reform waves. Thoughts directing reforms, reform tools and reform results have diversified. In addition, new problem areas have arisen in the local governments after the reform process. Number of studies analyzing local governments both during and after the administrative reform process from a comparative perspective has increased as well. Currently, there is a need to analyze local governments from comparative perspective via different theoretical discussions and country studies. This part will present current discussions as an introduction to comparative local government studies introduced in general terms throughout the book. Particularly the question remarks to have arisen after the local government reform will be addressed and analyzed.

Turns of Direct Democracy at the Local Level in Latvia

2022 ◽  
pp. 91-114
Author(s):  
Lilita Seimuskane ◽  
Maris Pukis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Government ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Study Participation ◽  
The Government

The chapter provides analysis of obstacles for the introduction of direct citizen participation in the decision-making process at the local self-governments in Latvia, as well as intents of national government to widen participative democracy by formalization of consultation mechanisms. Within the scope of this study, participation is seen as an interaction form of relationship between citizens and a local government. The highest form, according to Arnstein's gradation theory of a ladder of citizen participation, refers to the participation degree called partnership, delegated power, and is described by Teorell as a citizen voice in the government. Situation and perspective of local government referendums are analysed. Consultation is implemented at the level by involving the residents in the work of local government commissions and implementing public deliberations. Administrative territorial reform, performed by 2021 elections, will decrease the number of local governments to a third of their current level.

scholarly journals THE FORMS OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND CITIZEN’S PARTICIPATION IN ITS OPERATION: THE CANADIAN EXPERIENCE

2016 ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
Александр Ларичев ◽  
Aleksandr Larichev
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Electronic Voting ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Canadian Experience ◽  
The Law ◽  
Citizen’S Participation ◽  
Trend Of Development

This article examines state and prospects of direct democracy forms’ development in local government and citizen’s participation in its operation in Canada. The regulation of appropriate forms is present both in the law of the provinces and municipalities. It is stated that these forms show a positive trend of development, however, there are a number of problems in this sphere, associated specifically with the lack of appropriate system’s development of legal guarantees and uncertainty of the constitutional and legal status of the local government as an institution. At the same time, certain experience in implementation of forms of direct democracy at the local level (in particular, organization of electronic voting in elections) deserves attention and further study.

New Approaches to Local Democracy: Direct Democracy, Participation and the ‘Third Sector’

10.1068/c9950 ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ján Buček ◽  
Brian Smith
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Local Democracy ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Third Sector ◽  
Established Democracies

Two themes of particular significance in the changing world of local government are examined: the growing pressures to incorporate participatory and direct forms of democracy into local government; and the varied use of a complex structure of nongovernmental organisations as part of local governance. Two main forms of democracy with participation are discussed: direct democracy and participatory democracy. Differences between them are explained and the demands for them in transitional and established democracies are described. The different ways in which ‘third sector’ bodies are involved in local governance are explored and their contribution to local democratisation assessed. Innovations in participation and the involvement of the third sector can revitalise local democracy.

Direct Democracy Provisions and Local Government Fiscal Choices

2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jongsun Park ◽  
Barbara Coyle McCabe ◽  
Richard C. Feiock
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Direct Democracy

scholarly journals Pathways to Citizen Participation: Participatory Budgeting Policy Choice by Local Governments

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Skip Krueger ◽  
HyungGun Park
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Budget Process ◽  
Participatory Budgeting ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Administrative Capacity ◽  
Specific Policy

The existing literature on participatory budgeting – as one means of citizen participation in local governance – tends to focus on how to stimulate citizen participation in the budget process, and primarily aims to descriptively explain the magnitude of participation or the adoption of specific policy approaches. We investigate participatory budgeting from an institutional perspective and empirically evaluate the choices that local governments make in adopting a specific set of rules for including citizens in the budget process. We suggest that the choice of the type of participatory budgeting policy is predicated on the partisanship of policymakers, the administrative capacity of local government, and citizen’s experience with other forms of direct democracy. To test these hypotheses, we collect information on 224 local governments in South Korea from 2004 to 2013. For each city, we identify the type of participatory budgeting policy they adopt and evaluate that choice in an empirical model. The results provide evidence that the partisanship of local policymakers and the administrative capacity of the local government are associated with different choices about the inclusion of citizens in the budget process.

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