Technology
The Effects of Direct Democracy Instruments on Policy Stability
Quick fact
In Switzerland, between 1950 and 2000, over half of all successful popular initiatives were later modified or revoked by the parliament, showing that direct democracy can produce unstable policies rather than fixed ones.
Why this is interesting
Most of us assume that letting citizens vote directly on laws makes those laws more solid—but sometimes it does the exact opposite, causing laws to swing back and forth like a pendulum.