Cristina Fraenkel-Haeberle, (1964) Privatdozentin, Dr. iur, Research Fellow at the German Research Institute for Public Administration Speyer; former Senior Researcher at the Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism at EURAC, Bolzano/Bozen (Italy). Her main research is on comparative public law. Sabine Kropp, (1964) Professor of German Politics at the Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science, Free University Berlin. Her main research is on comparative federalism and multilevel governance as well as on parliamentarism and public administration.Francesco Palermo, (1969) Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law at the University of Verona and Director of the Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism at EURAC, Bolzano/Bozen (Italy). His main research is on comparative federalism, minority rights, constitutional adjudication and European law.Karl-Peter Sommermann, (1956) Professor of Public Law, Political Theory and Comparative Law at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer. His main research is on the Europeanisation of constitutional and administrative law, comparative law, human rights protection and development cooperation.

• Preface;Citizen Participation in Multi-Level Democracies – an Introduction Karl-Peter Sommermann;PART ONE – Conceptual FoundationChapter I. Federalism and Democracy – Compatible or at Odds with One Another? Re-examining a Tense Relationship Arthur Benz and Jared Sonnicksen;Chapter II. Participation, Federalism and Pluralism: Challenges to Decision-making and Responses by Constitutionalism Francesco Palermo;Chapter III. Federalism, People’s Legislation and Associative Democracy Sabine Kropp;Chapter IV. Forms of Democratic Participation in Multi-Level-Systems Anna Gamper;PART TWO – Concretisation and Instruments of DemocracyChapter V. Direct and Representative Democracy: The Perspective of German Citizens Oscar W. Gabriel;Chapter VI. Perspectives on the Institutionalization of Citizen Participation at the Municipal Level: a First-Hand Report Helmut Klages;Chapter VII. E-Participation in Germany – New forms of Citizen Involvement between Vision and Reality Mario Martini and Saskia Fritzsche;Chapter VIII. Financing Popular Initiatives and Referendum Campaigns Nadja Braun Binder;Chapter IX. Participation and Administrative Procedure Jutta Stender-Vorwachs;Chapter X. “Liquid Democracy”: Solution or Problem? Margrit Seckelmann;PART THREE – Examples from Federal and Regional StatesChapter XI. Participatory democracy in Multi-level States Umberto Allegretti;Chapter XII. Direct Democracy and Citizen Participation in the Austrian Federal State Peter Bußjäger; Chapter XIII. Italian Regionalism: Participation and Plebiscitary Models Cristina Fraenkel-Haeberle;Chapter XIV. Direct Democracy in the Swiss Federation Zoltán Tibor Pállinger;Chapter XV. The Referendum in the United Kingdom: Instrument for Greater Constitutional Legitimacy, Tool of Political Convenience or First Step to Revitalize Democracy? Sara Parolari and Jens Woelk;PART FOUR – Emergence of Participation in European AffairsChapter XVII. Towards the Europeanization of Participation? Reflecting on the Functions and Beneficiaries of Participation in EU Environmental Law Birgit Peters;Chapter XVIII. Participation in EU Governance: A “Multi-Level” Perspective and a “Multifold” Approach Delia Ferri;Editors; Authors; Index.