“公民投票”概念辨析——以法国学界为例

On the Definition of Referendum and Plebiscite

Référendum的现代意义源自法国大革命的实践活动,而plébiscite在现代法语中的重新启用则反映了法兰西第一、第二帝国时期投票活动的影响。传统观点认为,référendum概念侧重公民投票活动的民主正当性,而plébiscite则强调这种投票行为中所存在的操纵民意等行为,二者之间构成了天然的对立关系。然而,自20世纪80年代以来,有些学者开始质疑这一观点,认为理论界武断地启用了plébiscite一词,并不顾史实地虚构了它和référendum之间的对立。究其原因,这一切只是为了服务于现实的政治目的。本文认为,有关公民投票两个概念之间的对立关系是成立的,这一对立关系是由法国不同历史时期的政治文化造成的。认真研究这些学者的讨论,有助于深入认识公民投票问题的复杂性,更准确地把握法国政治体制的某些重要特征。

The modern meaning of 'referendum ' was acquired from the practices during the French Revolution,while the reuse of an ancient term 'plebiscite'in modern French language reflected theinfluence of voting activities of the First French Empire and the Second French Empire. The traditional view is that the definition of 'referendum'focuses on its democratic legitimacy,while 'plebiscite'stresses the voting behavior such as the manipulation of public opinion. Therefore,the two concepts are naturally antithetical to each other. However,some scholars began to question the traditional view since the 1980 s. They argue that some scholars fabricate antithetical relationship between 'plebiscite'and 'referendum ' in order to serve their political purposes. This paper admits the antithetical relationship between the two concepts and argues that it is attributable to the different political cultures in different historical periods in France. A review of the French scholars' discussions on this issue will help modern historians recognize the complexity of the problem of referendum,and to better grasp some important features of the French political system.