The rise and rise of the referendum
Referendums are on the rise across the world. From New Zealand to Colombia, governments are putting more and more big decisions to the popular vote.
When UK voters backed Brexit in June, it prompted a wave of interest in direct democracy - and the unexpected results it can unleash.
So what is driving this urge to ask the public their opinion?
According to Dr Marco Goldoni, a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow, we can thank "the limits and crisis of contemporary representative democracy", in which voters see their leaders as out of touch with their lives and feelings.
Referendums are often called when politicians lack the confidence to push through a major change - or are on a mission to do so. Britain's post-war Prime Minister Clement Attlee called them "a device of dictators and demagogues".
It is an accusation levelled at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is seeking support for a crackdown on opposition supporters that has seen tens of thousands arrested since July.
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