On the effect of direct democracy on voter turnout in local authorities

In light of the trend towards falling voter turnout - which, according to many election observers, has reached a level that is a cause for concern for the very concept of democracy, particularly in local elections - the research literature discusses various factors that may have a positive effect on voter turnout. Alongside measures such as combining election dates or introducing online voting, some reformers also propose making greater use of instruments of direct democracy. This bachelor's thesis examines whether procedures taking place within one year prior to local council elections have a positive short-term impact on voter turnout. The analysis is carried out using the difference-in-differences method and data from the State Statistical Offices of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, as well as from citizen participation databases covering the years 2007-2009 and 2013-2014 respectively.