Forcing choice: the risky reward of referendums

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The Hill Times: Best Books of 2017 What happens when crucial public issues are decided the people themselves? Canadians answered "Yes" or "No" to prohibiting alcohol, conscripting soldiers, and revamping our constitution. Forcing such crucial choices at the ballot box is high-stakes democracy, both here and overseas as witnessed with Britain's transformative 2016 "Brexit" referendum. Forcing Choice dissects Canada's extensive use of ballot questions at all levels of government, and weighs the benefits of citizens making fundamental decisions for the nation. Holding referendums is tricky, and getting it wrong carries a high price. This hard-hitting book draws on Boyer's deep research on direct democracy and his experience advising governments about referendums, writing books, drafting and introducing the Canada Referendum Act, monitoring foreign referendums, and campaigning in Canadian ones. Foreword by Peter RussellOn DemocracyPreface: A Word About Words1 High-Risk Democracy2 Anvil of a Self-Governing People3 Our Own Democratic Landscape4 The Sovereign People of Canada5 Referendum Law Normalizes Democratic Life6 Referendums in Harmony with the Constitution7 Charter Protection of Minority Rights8 Just What Constitutes a "Majority"?9 No Such Thing as "Direct Democracy"10 Referendums and Elections: Alike, Yet So Different11 "Mandates" from the People12 How Hard Is Asking a Clear Question?13 Aren't Some Issues Just Too Complex?14 To Vote on the Principle, or the Package?15 Continuing Adult Education16 Referendums Reveal, Do Not Create, Divisions17 Voting on Democracy18 Voting to Ratify, Join, and Subdivide Confederation19 Voting to Break Confederation: Round One, 198020 Voting on Confederation's Makeover: Getting to the Charlottetown Accord21 Voting to Break Confederation: Round Two, 199522 Voting on Prohibition23 Voting on Conscription24 Voting on Aboriginal Questions25 Voting on Women's Rights26 Voting on Food Supply Issues27 Balloting on Everything from Time of Day to a Fixed Link28 Democratic Accountability Through Municipal Ballot Questions29 Canada's Place in a Universe of Referendums30 Rewards of Citizen-Centred DemocracyAppendix: Canadian Ballot-Issue Votes: National, Provincial, TerritorialAcknowledgementsNotesBibliographyIndex