On referendums : a comparison of French and English Parliamentary debates using computer-assisted textual analysis

Democratic theory has long witnessed a divergence of opinion about the practice of popular participation. Proponents argue that involving citizens in decision-making strengthens democracy, reinforcing political values such as citizenship, accountability and government responsiveness (Barber, 1984:67). Critics, however, claim that it jeopardizes the effectiveness and quality of political decisions (Schumpeter, 1943:262). However, although the literature on the potentials and pitfalls of public involvement in decision-making is vast, studies about the views of elected representatives themselves on the issue remain rare.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo