{"title":"Books by Matt Qvortrup","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781526130037","title":"Government by Referendum","description":"Referendums are ubiquitous; from Brexit in the United Kingdom in 2016 to same-sex marriage in Australia in 2017  Why are referendums held at all? And when they are held, why are they won or lost? Moreover, what are the consequences of having referendums? Do they strengthen or weaken democracy? Are they mainly won or mainly lost or do they strengthen populist leaders? Or, are referendums a shield against demagogues and overeager politicians? Government by Referendum analyses why politicians sometime submit issues to the people Based on an historical analysis, but with an emphasis on the last two decades, the book shows that referendums often have been lost by powerful politicians. While sometimes used by autocrats, mechanisms of direct democracy have increasingly performed the function of  democratic constitutional safeguards in developed democracies. -- .","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56302898676085,"sku":"9781526130037","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781526130037_7ee23746-3e10-47c8-85c4-05b408ff138a.jpg?v=1786021862"},{"product_id":"9781526166050","title":"I Want to Break Free","description":"Are you fed up with the divided and unequal society or suffocating laws and regulations of the country where you live? Ever dreamed of starting your own country or just want to understand how that happens? In this refreshing new book, Matt Qvortrup provides a step-by-step guide to forming an independent country, from organising a referendum and winning it, to receiving official international recognition, establishing a currency and even entering the Eurovision song contest.    The book delves into the legal, economic and political problems of creating new states, using historical examples and anecdotes from all over the world to illustrate the obstacles to these campaigns. Qvortrup recounts his globetrotting experiences as an expert consultant on referendums to give a no-nonsense explanation of the many hurdles and barriers, as well as the opportunities for those who want to break free. -- .","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56302993932661,"sku":"9781526166050","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781526166050_ddd3bbe2-1a0c-4f16-ac2e-fe08e4eb5967.jpg?v=1786022140"},{"product_id":"9789633866597","title":"The Political Brain","description":"We have politics on our mind-or, rather, we have politics in different parts of our brains. In this path-breaking study, Matt Qvortrup takes the reader on a whistle stop tour through the fascinating, and sometimes frightening, world of neuropolitics; the discipline that combines neuroscience and politics, and is even being used to win elections.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56311252156789,"sku":"9789633866597","price":12.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9789633866597_8c2feb37-4c81-4a15-ad4d-b8a8e32c00ee.jpg?v=1786035015"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-matt-qvortrup.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}