Participatory Democracy and Municipal Referendums in Italian Legal System

Participatory democracy is considered as one of the democratic models of developed countries applicable to small local administrative contexts such as cities through the instrument of local or municipal referendum. In the Italian legal system these processes and tools exist, and the study of scientific foundations, rules and practices of all kinds of local and municipal referendums can be a good example for the scientific community and the developing legal system of Iran, which has so far been deprived of this instrument. The importance of the research is due to the possibility that the correct description of participatory democracy and municipal referendums in Italy can be an example for the Iranian system, given that answer the question that can municipal referendums raise popular participation about governance and can they help to stabilize democracy and decentralization or not, it’s a help to discuss methods for strengthen democracy in Iran. Finally, it will be demonstrated that participatory democracy, and in particular municipal referendums, will in some way guarantee legal development, popular participation, consolidation of the democratic system and decentralization in Italy, and developing countries such as Iran, providing strengths and weaknesses points are recognized, can benefit from this model and can promoting their governance components.