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oa Meer of minder directe democratie? - De houding van de burgers tegenover verschillende politieke besluitvormingsprocessen
- Amsterdam University Press
- Source: Mens & Maatschappij, Volume 86, Issue 2, Jun 2011, p. 203 - 226
Abstract
More or less direct democracy? .
The public’s opinion towards political decision making processes .
Scientists, policy makers and politicians all seem to agree that democracy needs renewal, and suggest that more direct democracy will decrease the so-called gap between citizens and politicians. Yet, little is known about how citizens think about direct democracy, and even less is known about citizens’ opinions about other changes in decision making processes. This study investigates to what extent citizens themselves think adjustments to the current representative system are required, either through more direct democracy, or through more power for experts which is typical for so-called stealth democracies. We find that citizens are generally satisfied with the principles of the representative decision-making process. Yet, they are dissatisfied about the way and the extent to which they are represented.