This project will address the supposed tension between referendums and deliberative democracy.

The project has two key aims: to explore empirically the conditions under which a truly deliberative constitutional process can in fact take place across a polity, engaging the citizenry at large; and secondly, in theoretical terms, evaluating this against the benchmarks of deliberative democracy. There is a strong assumption in political theory and empirical political science that referendum processes are not, and indeed cannot be, properly deliberative because they fail to meet the key requirements of publicity or openness, reason-giving and responsiveness (Gutmann and Thompson, Democracy and Disagreement).

The project promises a significant contribution to this theoretical literature by empirically testing this assumption. Therefore, we propose to connect three disciplinary streams of work: empirical political science, doctrinal public law, and legal and political theory. These will complement each other to help present a picture of how and under what conditions a deliberative conversation on matters of the highest constitutional consequence is in fact possible in the lead-up to a referendum. 

Programme PDF

Professor Stephen Tierney (Law)

Dr Ailsa Henderson (Politics)

Navraj Singh Ghaleigh (Law)

The project has been generously funded by the:

Development Trust Research Fund, awarded by the University of Edinburgh's College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Canadian Studies Program Development Grant

Workshop, May 2009

A one day seminar will be the main element of our research project. We have invited a number of international experts on direct democracy and deliberative democracy who will present papers on these themes.

Raeburn Room, Old College, University of Edinburgh, 8 May, 2009

Co-organisers:
Centre for Constitutional Law, University of Edinburgh;
Elections, Public Opinion and Parties (EPOP) research group, University of Edinburgh 

9.30 Welcome and workshop introduction: Ailsa Henderson, Navraj Singh Ghaleigh and Stephen Tierney

9.45 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.
Deliberative direct democracy: a theoretical possibility?
John Parkinson, University of York –Theory of deliberative democracy and referendums Paper
Ian O’Flynn, University of Newcastle – Deeply divided societies, referendums and deliberative democracy Paper

11.00 - 11.30 Break

11.30 – 12.45
Can referendums be deliberative? The evidence from empirical work
Richard Simeon, University of Toronto – The Neverendum: Canada’s referendum experience
Ailsa Henderson, University of Edinburgh - Deliberative democracy before the referendum process: the experience of the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly Paper

12.45 – 2.00 Lunch

2.00 – 3.15
Referendums and new technology: facilitating deliberation?
John Morison, Queens University, Belfast - Modelling democracy: E-democracy and decision-making Presentation
Navraj Singh Ghaleigh, University of Edinburgh – Data, Donations and Deliberation: Mashups in Direct Democracy Presentation

3.15 – 3.45 Break

3.45 – 4.30
The law and practice of the referendum process: the international dimension
Steven Wheatley, University of Leeds - International law and deliberation: the recent practice of referendums/plebiscites

4.30 – 5.30 Discussion
Stephen Tierney, University of Edinburgh will act as discussant, briefly reflecting on the day’s proceedings and chairing a general discussion.
5.30 End of workshop

Drinks and Dinner

Programme PDF