Přímá demokracie

Title in English: Direct democracy

Political scientists usually do not pay as much attention to direct democracy as it deserves, perhaps on the ground that referenda have been repeatedly misused in the past to establish or strengthen various authoritarian or even totalitarian regimes. This collection therefore tries to examine the advantages and disadvantages of direct democracy at the national and local level, both in the Czech Republic and in the European context. By all means, the main point of a referendum should be to increase the legitimacy of political decisions, not to shift political responsibility, expand populism, or introduce “political outsourcing” – as these may eventually cause the delegitimation of the entire political and constitutional system.