This book explains how citizens are using referendums to challenge decisions taken by the European Union. The book uses Brexit – the British referendum in which a majority voted for the UK leaving the European Union – as the leading example of a conflict between national voters and the EU.

1. How Democratic Elections Differ (Richard Rose).- 2. How Referendums Differ From Each Other (Richard Rose).- 3. Europe’s Democratic Deficit and Democratic Surplus (Richard Rose).- 4. A Paradigm Shift in European Referendums (Fernando Mendez).- 5. When Institutions and Issues Change, Voting Changes (Ian McAllister and Richard Rose).- 6. How Politicians Ought to Talk about Europe: Five Lessons from Experiments (Konstantin Vössing).- 7. Comparing Voting in National Referendums on EU Issues (Alexia Katsanidou and Slaven Živković).- 8. Britain: Still Searching for a Role in the World (Tim Oliver).- 9 Forecasting the Economic Impact of Brexit (Paul Whiteley and Harold D. Clarke).- 10. Policymaking in a Bounded Democracy (Richard Rose).- 11. The Failure of Parliamentary Government (Richard Rose).- 12. A New Prime Minister Meets Old Constraints (Richard Rose).- 13. Beyond Brexit in a World of Interdependence (Richard Rose).

‘On both sides of the Channel, apparently secure democratic institutions are in trouble. Political legitimacy has been eroded by the unresolved conflicts between popular and representative democracy, and between often-complacent elites and increasingly sceptical electorates. The Brexit drama has not caused these problems, but it has reflected and severely deepened them, especially in Britain. Richard Rose’s compelling, unsparing examination lays these problems bare. His analysis should be heeded by students and practitioners of politics alike.’

–Peter Kellner, Political Journalist and Co-founder of YouGov, UK

‘Direct democracy has come to play an increasingly important role in the dynamic of European integration, including the dramatic departure of a member state, the UK. This volume is a must-read on referendums and the structural limits of EU democracy.’

–Brigid Laffan, Director, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European UniversityInstitute, Italy

‘Richard Rose and his colleagues bring together the study of democratic elections, the institutions of the EU and the politics of Brexit. The analysis is consistently insightful and the references remarkably topical. To understand how political legitimacy is fragile in bounded democracies, this is an invaluable book.’

–Albert Weale, Emeritus Professor of Political Theory and Public Policy, UCL, UK

This book explains how citizens are using referendums to challenge decisions taken by the European Union. The opening chapters compare the two chief institutions of electoral democracy: parliamentary elections to decide who governs, and referendums to decide policies. Chapters analysing referendum voting on Europe in Britain, Greece and the Netherlands show that cultural values can have a stronger influence than class. The book uses Brexit as the leading example of a conflict between national voters and the EU. However, taking back control of policymaking does not ensure effective policymaking when success depends not only on what the British Parliament does but also on decisions taken in Brussels, Washington and elsewhere. The EU is challenged too, as its policies increasingly depend on what happens on other continents.

Richard Rose has received many European awards for his books on comparative elections, public policy and British and European Union politics. He is Founder-Director of the Centre for the Study of Public Policy, University of Strathclyde, UK.

"On both sides of the Channel, apparently secure democratic institutions are in trouble. Political legitimacy has been eroded by the unresolved conflicts between popular and representative democracy, between traditional incumbent parties and populist insurgents, and between often-complacent elites and increasingly sceptical electorates. The Brexit drama has not caused these problems, but it has both reflected and severely deepened them, especially in Britain. Richard Rose’s compelling, unsparing examination lays these problems bare. His analysis should be heeded by students and practitioners of politics alike." (Peter Kellner, Political Journalist and Co-founder of YouGov, UK)
"A volume on How Referendums Challenge European Democracy is to be welcomed. Direct democracy has come to play an increasingly important role in the dynamic of European integration, including the dramatic departure of a member state, the UK. This volume is a must-read on referendums and the structural limits of EU democracy." (Brigid Laffan, Director, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, Italy)
"Taking as their starting point the observation that every national government is part of a network of political and economic interdependencies, Richard Rose and his colleagues bring together the study of democratic elections, the institutions of the European Union and the politics of Brexit. The analysis is consistently insightful and the references remarkably topical. To understand how political legitimacy is fragile in bounded democracies, this is an invaluable book." (Albert Weale, Emeritus Professor of Political Theory and Public Policy, University College London, UK)

Relevant to the debate about whether the EU has a democratic deficit Places Brexit in a wider comparative context Originally claims that referendums challenge the elite consensus that led to the referendums being called in the first place

GPSR Compliance The European Union's (EU) General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is a set of rules that requires consumer products to be safe and our obligations to ensure this. If you have any concerns about our products you can contact us on ProductSafety@springernature.com. In case Publisher is established outside the EU, the EU authorized representative is: Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbH Europaplatz 3 69115 Heidelberg, Germany ProductSafety@springernature.com