Referendums and Democratic Government is the most systematic analysis of the referendum so far. The referendum phenomenon is approached from different perspectives: social choice theory, theories of democracy, a comparative study on 22 democracies, and in-depth case studies of Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland. The referendum is not a unitary phenomenon but it serves various functions and different normative goals in the political systems studied. This variation may largely be explained by the differences in the initiating and agenda-setting procedures.

MAIJA SETÄLÄ is a Researcher at the Department of Political Science at the University of Turku, Finland. She has previously taught at the London School of Economics where she received her doctorate.

Acknowledgements Introduction PART I: THEORIES OF REFERENDUM Referendum and the Will of the Majority Referendum and Theories of Democracy PART II: ANALYSIS OF INSTITUTIONS Referendum in Representative Government Referendum in Three Counties Conclusions Appendices Bibliography