Abstract

What is the main function of elections in democracy? There are two possible answers to this question, associated with the two different models of democracy identified by Duverger: immediate and mediate democracy. In the former, citizens chose directly the head of the government; in the second they elect representatives in parliament and the government is the result of the compromise between different political forces. The author analyzes the internal logic of the two models, starting from the comparison between the conceptions of Schumpeter and Kelsen. The recent reform of the Italian electoral law is interpreted as the accomplishment of a long-term path toward immediate democracy.