American Journal of Sociological Research
p-ISSN: 2166-5443 e-ISSN: 2166-5451
2017; 7(4): 117-122
doi:10.5923/j.sociology.20170704.03
Małgorzata Podolak
Faculty of Political Science, Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland
Correspondence to: Małgorzata Podolak, Faculty of Political Science, Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland.
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The views on the institution of direct democracy have changed during the period of democratic transition. They were referred to, pointing to their various advantages and positive effects, confirmed by the practice of some democratic countries. The referendum is especially treated as the purest form of correlation between the views of society and the decisions of its representatives. The referendum is nowadays becoming more than just a binding or consultative opinion on a legislative act, especially a constitution. First and foremost, it is important to see the extension of the type and scope of issues that are subject to universal suffrage. Apart from the traditional, i.e. constitutional changes, polarizing issues which cause considerable emotion become the subject of the referendum. Problems of this type include, in particular, moral issues, membership in international organizations, or the so-called New Policy. The article presents the role and importance of the referendum institution in shaping the democratic systems of Central and Eastern European countries. The transformation of political systems in Central European states from socialist/communist to democratic ones resulted in increasing interest in the notion of referendum, one of the common forms of direct democracy. The aim of this paper is to analyze referenda in the selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.
Keywords: Democracy, Direct Democracy, Referendum, Central and Eastern Europe
Cite this paper: Małgorzata Podolak, Referendum as an Institution of Democratization in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe, American Journal of Sociological Research, Vol. 7 No. 4, 2017, pp. 117-122. doi: 10.5923/j.sociology.20170704.03.
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