Knowledge and Power between Direct and Representative Democracy

In a period like the one we are experiencing, where the possibility to influence and manipulate knowledge and – as a consequence – public opinion has achieved a pervasive and extended potency far beyond that of the past, some legal priorities should be set and complied with before dealing with representative as well as direct democracy. Strengthening voters’ awareness is crucial, and in particular, establishing legal tenets aimed at protecting and improving their information environment. Such an implementation firstly urges for direct democracy, given its ability to produce immediate “legally binding choices” devoid of any previous formalised intermediation, made of discussions, debates and deliberation by competent representative bodies; but it equally urges for the healthiness of representative democracy