An Introduction to Direct Democracy

Min Shu

Autumn Term 2024
School of International Liberal Studies
Waseda University
The materials contained in this webpage are intended for teaching purpose ONLY.
Pls do NOT quote, link or redistribute without the consent of the course instructor.

updated on 20 Jan 2025

Overview / Lecture Notes / Contact / Links

Overview

 This course deals with the history, theory and practice of direct democracy. Our historical journey starts from the ancient Greece and the Roman Republic--a time when direct democracy was originated, to the birth of contemporary direct democracy during the French revolution and in Switzerland and New England, and further to the modern practice of direct democracy in the European Union.

In the light of the theories of direct democracy, we will discuss the naive faith in, the hasty criticism against, and the widespread abuse of direct democracy. The course will be concluded in an open-ended debate about the role of direct democracy in the cosmopolitan world.

As a two-credit seminar, the course is organised mainly in the form of student-oriented discussion. We will read and discuss introductory texts on direct democracy, and actually practise direct democracy in class!

As each course attendant will find out at the end of the course, active participation is not only the key to the success of direct democracy, but also the way to improve his/her own performance in this course. In addition to in-class discussion, each student will be required to write a short essay on direct democracy towards the end of the term.

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Lecture Notes
  • Syllabus pdf file
  • Week 1: Introduction and Guidance pdf file
  • Week 2: Direct Democracy in Ancient Athens and Rome pdf file
  • Week 3: Direct Voting and the French Revolution pdf file
  • Week 4: The Birth of Modern Direct Democracy: Switzerland and New England pdf file
  • Week 5: The Institutional Settings of Direct Democracy-I pdf file
  • Week 6: The Institutional Settings of Direct Democracy-II pdf file
  • Week 7: Consolidating Leadership: Referendums in Nazi Germany and Postwar France pdf file
  • Week 8: Advocating Self-Determination: Referendums and the Birth of New States pdf file
  • Week 9: Legitimating Public Policy-Making: Referendums and European Integration pdf file
  • Week 10: Direct Democracy in Action! 
  • Week 11: Direct Voting in Normative Democratic Theories pdf file
  • Week 12: Understanding Voting Behavior in Direct Democracy pdf file
  • Week 13: Political Representation and Direct Democracy pdf file
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Contact
  • Email: min.shu(at)waseda.jp
  • Office Hours: lunchtime on Tuesday and Thursday
    (appointment required!)
  • Office: Rm. 1455, Building No. 11
  • Tel: 03-3208-8499
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Links
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