Constitutional Referendums: A Theory of Republic

Theuseofreferendumsaroundtheworldhasgrownremarkablyinthepastthirtyyearsand，inparticular，referendumsaretodaydeployedmorethaneverinthesettlementofconstitutionalquestions，evenincountrieswithlittleornotraditionofdirectdemocracy.Thisisthefirstbookbyaconstitutionaltheoristtoaddresstheimplicationsofthisdevelopmentforconstitutionaldemocracyinaglobalizingage，whenmanyoftheoldercertaintiessurroundingsovereigntyandconstitutionalauthorityarecomingunderscrutiny.Thebookidentifiesfoursubstantiveconstitutionalprocesseswherethereferendumisregularlyusedtoday：thefoundingofnewstates;thecreationoramendmentofconstitutions;theestablishmentofcomplexnewmodelsofsub-stateautonomy，particularlyinmultinationalstates;andthetransferofsovereignpowersfromEuropeanstatestotheEuropeanUnion.Thebook，asastudyinconstitutionaltheory，addressesthechallengesthisphenomenonposesnotonlyforparticularconstitutionalorders，whicharetypicallystructuredaroundarepresentativemodelofdemocracy，butforconstitutionaltheorymorebroadly.Themaintheoreticalfocusofthebookistherelationshipbetweenthereferendumanddemocracy.Itaddressesthestandardcriticismswhichthereferendumissubjectedtobydemocratictheoristsanddeploysbothcivicrepublicantheoryandtherecentturnindeliberativedemocracytoaskwhetherbygoodprocess-designtheconstitutionalreferendumiscapableoffacilitatingtheengagementofcitizensindeliberativeactsofconstitution-making.Withthereferendumfirmlyestablishedasafixtureofcontemporaryconstitutionalism，thebookaddressesthekeyquestionforconstitutionaltheoristsandpractitionersofhowmightitsoperationbemademoredemocraticinageofconstitutionaltransformation.