The "Deutsches Institut für Sachunmittelbare Demokratie – DISUD" (German Institute for Direct Democracy) is an institute at TU Dresden in Saxony, Germany. In Germany, it is the first associated institute for research on direct democracy which makes TU Dresden unique among German universities. The Faculty of Law at the university initiated the process by applying to the Rectorial College.

Since 1990, the increasing amount of regulation on direct democracy in Germany demands intensive research on the subject. Already, this research field is sponsored immensely in Switzerland. Dr. iur. Peter Neumann (Doctor of Laws), head of DISUD, has been studying the field of direct democracy for 20 years and founded DISUD in Dresden in 2004.

Ever since, DISUD is devoted to a scientific approach to direct democracy on the basis of the German constitution. The DISUD advisory council consists of nine renowned academics from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Annually, DISUD organizes a study trip to Switzerland with seminars and discussions at leading Swiss universities. Besides meeting representatives of politics, economics, science, and culture, it is a stable to visit the Popular Assembly in either Glarus or Appenzell Inner-Rhodes, the last two cantons where the popular assembly has been retained. Additionally, a close cooperation with the most important research institute on direct democracy “C2D – Centre for Research on Direct Democracy”, Aarau, University of Zurich, helps establishing a network for academics of the field.

Furthermore, the monthly interdisciplinary colloquium of DISUD serves a scientific discussion, sometimes even political education. The speakers are usually academics of various fields, as well as political or economic representatives.

Naturally, research on direct democracy cannot be limited to theoretical studies. Therefore, DISUD is setting up a data base of citizens’ initiatives on the communal level. This allows for quantitative as well as content-related research on direct democracy. This data base will be provided not only to the academic community, but also to the public.

Research results are presented in the series “Studien zur Sachunmittelbaren Demokratie (StSD)” (studies on direct democracy) published at Nomos Publishing. Already, a second series is being planned.