>From the Publisher:

Direct Democracy involves citizens in discussion and decisions about what the government is to do, rather than leaving these decisions to officials or parliaments. It thus challenges the restrictions placed by representative democracies such as Britain and the United States on political consultation and popular participation. This book confronts arguments for and against mass debate in light of new communication developments which make Direct Democracy technically feasible in a mass society. The result is a highly original and innovative account of the possibility of the direct involvement of citizens in the governance of their own affairs.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Challenges of Direct Democracy
1 Mass Participation and its Feasibility
2 What are Direct and Representative Democracy?
3 New Answers to Old (and New) Criticisms
4 Participation in Practice
5 Citizens and Parties under Direct Democracy
6 Structural Problems and Constraints
7 From Democratic Rhetoric to Direct Reality
Bibliography
Index