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The article deals with the current wave of secession referendums. It argues that it seems to be part of the movement against the internationalization of domestic politics, epitomized by the process of fiscal and political integration in the EU. Analyzing the situation of Ukraine, Scotland, Catalonia and the Italian Region of Veneto, the article reaches the following conclusions: independence referendums have some distinctive features that set them apart from other forms of referendum; they are a great challenge to kelsenian sovereignty and representative democracy, but nonetheless they have to come to terms with it in order to be held; some countries seem better prepared than others to accommodate their challenge, and this must have something to do with their respective legal systems and possibly electoral systems as well.

The author analizes why almost half the Peruvian electorate voted NO at the last constitutional referendum of October 31st, 1993, notwithstanding that all forecasts, including those of the opposition, predicted that no less than sixty per cent would vote YES. He also considers the result of the polls, previous to the referendum, which indicated that President Fujimori's popularity had increased since the capture of Shining Path's leader, Abimael Guzman, and the fact that the official group tried to turn the referendum to approve the new constitution into a plebliscite to back the President. (Soc.Part.)

Il contributo esamina gli aspetti salienti del regime giuridico del referendum costituzionale mettendone in evidenza le più significative problematiche applicative nonché le trasformazioni registrate dall'istituto nella prassi. L'analisi dei precedenti storici consente di svolgere talune considerazioni critiche anche in relazione al prossimo referendum costituzionale del 4 dicembre 2016, rintracciando talune costanti che hanno caratterizzato i processi di innovazione istituzionale passati ed in itinere. ; The paper examines the salient aspects of the legal regime of the constitutional referendum highlighting the most significant application issues as well as the transformationsrecorded in practice. The analysis of previoushistorical data allows to carry out certain critical remarksin relation to the next constitutional referendum of December 4, 2016, tracking certain constants which are typicalboth in the past and ongoing institutional innovation.

"Critics of referendums often lament that big money may buy success at the ballot box. But spending by interest groups may also be informative for citizens. This can only happen, however, if the financing of referendum campaigns is regulated. This book offers an overview of these regulations and presents research on their effects"--Provided by publisher