Decompressing to prevent unrest: political participation through citizen-initiated mechanisms of direct democracy
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Date
2025
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Abstract
This paper explores how citizen-initiated mechanisms of direct democracy (CI-MDDs), such as abrogative referendums and popular initiatives, can reduce the likelihood of violent and nonviolent social unrest. By offering institutional ‘safety valves,’ CI-MDDs allow citizens to express grievances and influence policy between election cycles, alleviating frustrations that might otherwise lead to large-scale protests. This is the first cross-national study to empirically assess how CI-MDDs affect social unrest in democratic regimes. Using fixed-effects and random-effects logistic regression models with panel data from democracies worldwide since 1970, the analysis demonstrates that countries with greater access to CI-MDDs experience lower levels of resistance campaigns, even when accounting for economic factors. While these mechanisms help contain societal pressures, they are not without risks, as they can be co-opted by populist or extremist factions. Despite limitations related to data coverage, the findings suggest that CI-MDDs are effective in managing democratic tensions, contributing to long-term political stability and reducing the likelihood of unrest.
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Political participation, Citizen-initiated mechanismsof direct democracy, Socialunrest, Violence, Democracy