I disagree about DDG :). For work-related searches I'm really satisfied with the results and I find answers quickly. I would even go as far as to say that it works better for me than Google's search.
I experienced it the other way around. When using DDG for personal use or results about local things I often tend to use the Google bang as Google has the better localized results.
It's working great. In Switzerland we do not only have elections every few years but we can also (directly) vote on issues from all three legal jurisdictions (municipality, canton or federal level) multiple times a year. Thus, we not only have a democracy but a direct democracy.