Open the Public Space

This chapter shows the characters and problems of local democracy through analyzing local referendums in Japan. The author starts the discussion by posing three questions: (1) Why is the number of local referendums increasing? (2) Is the dialogue between citizens and local councilors efficient? (3) Can transformations in local democracy be observed? This chapter regards the history of local referendums as a lesson of democracy and reveals the necessity of dialogue through campaigns of local referendums. It comprises three parts: (1) the history of local referendums in Japan, (2) a theoretical background on local referendums and representative democracy, and (3) the analysis of a local referendum in the city of Matue in Shimane Prefecture.