Direct democracy devices: A computer-simulation analysis |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute of Social Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, Germany;2. Institute of Computer Science, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40235, Düsseldorf, Germany;3. Macromedia University of Applied Science, Richmodstraße 10, 50667, Cologne, Germany;4. Faculty of Computer Science, TU Dortmund University, August-Schmidt-Straße 1, 44227, Dortmund, Germany;5. Department of Ethical, Legal & Social Issues, Center for Advanced Internet Studies, Universitätsstraße 104, 44799, Bochum, Germany;1. The Open University, Gardiner 2, Room 221, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK;2. Department of Geography, University of South Africa, South Africa;1. Public Health Institute (PHI), Liverpool John Moore''s University, UK;2. School of Pharmacy, University of Jordan, Jordan;1. Water Research & Pollution Control Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt;2. Analysis & Evaluation Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, 1 Ahmed El-Zomor Street, Nasr City Cairo, Egypt |
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| Abstract: | This paper places direct democracy devices in a long tradition of efforts to expand citizen participation. A computer simulation model, DEMOCRACY, is developed to compare the impact of direct democracy devices with the impact of representative democracy on the proportion of legislation initiated and approved. Citizens' initiative results in the approval of substantially more legislation than legislative structure. The referendum results in slightly less legislation being approved than under legislative structure. Legislation is more likely to be approved when citizen intensities and policy preferences are distributed in a concentrated manner so that districts are homogeneous, than when they are uniformly distributed, so that districts are heterogeneous. The proportion of legislation approved is sensitive to both government structure and to the distribution of citizen preferences and intensities. The impact of government structure exceeds the impact of citizen preferences. The democratic devices and rules used matter. |
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