直接民主與代議民主的融合：瑞士與德國公民投票制度的探討

Integrating Direct and Representative Democracy: An Analysis of the Referendum System in Switzerland and Germany

一般來說，公民投票作為直接民主的一種形式，其施行通常被認為是為了彌補代議政治的不足之處。然而如此的看法似乎揭示了直接民主一定程度上優於代議民主，而使代議機關在公民投票程序上的角色常被忽略。基於直接民主的實證研究逐漸證實，直接民主概念所衍生出的制度並不一定能夠產生更具民意代表性的結果。因此在本文中，我們挑戰了直接民主必然可以彌補代議民主不足的看法，並認為代議民主彌補直接民主亦等同重要。從這個角度出發，本文檢視瑞士以及德國漢堡公民投票之相關規定。我們關注的問題是兩個個案之公民投票程序所需時間，以及政府與議會在公民投票程序中被納入的時機與作用。最後，本文進一步探討兩個案公民投票制度在提高公民投票案之能見度上、強化代議機關與提案人互動以及保障合憲性的表現。由於代議機關在公民投票發動過程中所應扮演的角色在我國公民投票制度的討論中幾乎未曾受到重視，因此公民投票在制度設計上如何能夠更大程度地與代議民主相互結合，乃是特別值得我國深入探討的議題。本文認為，若臺灣能在公民投票發動的過程中（而非事後）納入議會政黨的審議、憲法法院的審查，並使代議機關於審議公投案後能夠提出對案，將更能強化我國代議民主及直接民主之互補。

Generally speaking, as a form of direct democracy, the referendum is implemented to compensate for the shortcomings of representative politics. However, this view implies that direct democracy is in a certain sense superior to representative democracy, and the role of representative organs in referendum procedures is often overlooked. Empirical research about direct democracy has gradually confirmed that systems based on the concept of direct democracy do not necessarily produce results that are more representative of public opinion. Therefore, in this article, we challenge the view that direct democracy is necessarily an appropriate instrument to make up for the shortcomings of representative democracy, and argue that it is equally important for representative democracy to correct the shortcomings of direct democracy. From this perspective, this article examines the relevant regulations for the referendum in Switzerland and Hamburg, Germany. We focus on the time required for the referendum process in the two cases, and the timing and function of how the government and the representative assembly are included in the referendum process. Finally, this article explores the performance of the two referendum systems in improving the visibility of referendums, strengthening the interaction between representative organs and sponsors, and ensuring constitutionality. Since the role of the representative organs in the process of initiating a referendum has received very little attention in the discussion of the referendum system in Taiwan, how the referendum can be better integrated with representative democracy is a particularly worthwhile topic. This article proposes that if Taiwan were to include the parliamentary parties in the deliberations already during the process of launching a referendum (rather than after the fact), allow for early review by the Constitutional Court, and provide for the possibility of the representative organs directly making counter-proposals, this would further strengthen our representative democracy and better complement the mechanisms of direct democracy.