Basic principles of direct democracy with Stefan Schlegel

Rules of the Game – discussing democratic institutions

Direct democracy is a powerful political institution. It is the people's veto power in government. Used in the right way, it is an important check on representative democracy and a way to break politicians and parties’ coalitions directed against the common interest of the voters, thus a way to hedge against excessive politics by elected representatives.

Together with Stefan Schlegel, I discuss basic principles of direct democracy that make its use less controversial, less risky, more cohesive, and, not least, more democratic. Based on the examples of the Brexit referendum and the recent Swiss popular initiative to ban face veils (burqa ban), we debate some of the biggest problems and possible solutions when employing direct democracy as a political decision making tool.

Dr. Stefan Schlegel is a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer at the law faculty of the University of Bern, Switzerland. He holds a PhD in Law, and specializes in studies of refugee and immigration law. He is an Ambizione Fellow of the Swiss National Science Foundation. Previously, Stefan Schlegel was a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for the study of ethnic and religious diversity. Besides his academic career, he is a member of the board at Operation Libero, an influential liberal transpartisan political movement that running campaigns regarding popular votes in Switzerland.

Please enjoy this wide ranging conversation with Stefan Schlegel.

This episode is partly based on the blog post "8 Principles of Direct Democracy", published on the Center for Global Development blog.

Find out more about Stefan Schlegel's work and political activities on his personal website (in German).

Connect with Stefan Schlegel on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Find the show notes and full transcript of the episode here: https://rulesofthegame.blog/basic-principles-of-direct-democracy/