法国大革命时期全民公决的实践及其意义

The practice and its meaning of the referendums during the French Revolution

现代全民公决制度肇始于法国大革命时期,研究这一时期全民公决的实践活动对于我们系统探讨全民公决制度是大有裨益的。尽管由于公民参与率低下、信息的匮乏及没有采取秘密投票方式等原因使法国大革命时期全民公决的意义大打折扣,但这一时期的实践活动却使全民公决制度在法国获得了合法性,从而为这一制度在全世界范围内的发展奠定了基础。

The modern referendum as a political institution was firstly established during the French Revolution, therefore studying the practice of the referendums is very useful for us to understand this special institution. On the basis of outlining the referendum practice during the period of the French Revolution, and by reviewing the several constitutions （or constitutional draft）, we hope to understand how the idea of referendum is formed, and to summarize their characteristics. We have the conclusion that the referendum has acquired its legitimacy through this practice even if there were still many problems such as the low participation of the citizens, lack of information, and no secret vote. The legitimacy laid the foundation for its development all over the world.