Does ordinary citizenry really lack policy competence? New research using Swiss ballot data suggests otherwise. This study introduces a novel voter justification measure to assess direct democracy competence across multiple levels.

Voter understanding: Most citizens grasp the arguments behind policy decisions in referendums.

Key findings:

• Voter competence depends on political context and individual resources

• Motivation strongly correlates with justification levels, outweighing ability effects

Implications: These results offer fresh perspectives for scholars studying democratic representation and citizen deliberation.