One advantage of using referendums in the UK is that they enable the public that are over 18 to approve or disprove important . There was a political imperative for this as if the Government had planned for a leave vote it would have been portrayed that they did not think they could win. There is a consistent danger that referendums, because of their binary nature, become dominated by wider political issues and not just the issue on the ballot paper. This suggests that referendums are not usually a true rendering of the particular public wants an result to be. Essay on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Trade. Political education - by widening debate on an issue, referendums create a better educated electorate, who have a stronger incentive to think and act politically. They would point to factors such as: It settled an issue that had been contentious for a generation. Reserved Power Powers that are kept by the Westminster Government and not devolved, for example Defence. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. They differ from elections- an election fills an office (so does not directly affect policy), whereas referendums do directly affect policy. A referendum is a popular vote on a single issue. 1. 5. Advantages of referendums. Electoral Assistance Division (EAD). (10 Jul 2012), Advantages and disadvantages of sub-municipal wards China: Village Committee Elections: First Steps on a Long March? We're here 24 hours a day, except from 6am to 4pm on Saturday (UTC+8). Another argument advanced in favour of referendums is that they can be used to resolve political problems, particularly for incumbent governments; where a governing party is divided over an issue, for example, holding a referendum can help reach a solution on the issue without splitting the party (one example of this is the 1975 UK referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EC, an issue over which the ruling Labour government was deeply divided). For more information on this licence see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0 . Such episodes served to highlight both the seductive attraction and grave perils of referendums for those who decide to hold them. A referendum is a vote provided to the general public which is determined by the federal government, and is used to help answer a crucial political or constitutional concern to which the public need to vote a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Public are given direct control over policy-making, ensuring their views and interests are directly reflected in policy . Good Friday Agreement 1998 received clear support from most of the community (70% Yes) and this allowed peace to maintain with only minor difficulties. Why is the wording of the question so important in a referendum? Referendums have become more widely used since 1997 and have helped to decide controversial policies. On June 23, 2016, a referendum (public vote) was held in the UK for its withdrawal from the European Union. A referendum provides the opportunity to vote on a single-issue. This led MPs into conflict with their own constituencies and having to deliver on a mandate they had been given that they didnt agree with. 3. In the case of the EU Referendum, significant amounts of legislation, both primary and secondary, has had to been passed since 2016. Advantages and disadvantages of the referendum instrument Several arguments are advanced in support of and in opposition to referendums. 806 8067 22, Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, Direct/ representative democracy and Nature of Representative democracy, Evaluate how democratic, in practice, initiatives and referendums are in making public policy decisions in the USA. (16 Nov 2018), Limits to universal suffrage To please their own political supporters Sometimes a referendum may be held for party political reasons and in the interest of a particular party, rather than the nation as a whole. Because referendums are often held on complex issues, it is easy for populism to take hold. There are fundamentally three different types of referendum: An advisory referendum This is a referendum which allows citizens to express their opinion, but it is not binding on the government hence being called advisory. A good example of this may be the EU Referendum in 2016. As a result of the legitimacy that a direct vote bestows, they can have an enormous impact in settling controversial issues. The parties stances on Brexit have also had electoral consequences, not least the weakening of Labours traditional working class support in some areas. 5. Executives and legislatures, in their bid to out do the other, have utilized the referendum to secure their political goals. Is the Prime Minister Effectively a President? A REFERENDUM is where the electorate vote on a specific question, or questions. Their increasing use (or at least proposal) was also partly due to the participation of the Liberal Democrats in the coalition government, the Lib Dems being the party most committed not only to constitutional reform but also the use of referendums in general. The Liberal Democrats, who were long-time supporters of electoral reform, insisted on this as part of the Coalition Agreement. This is because although a majority of people voted a certain way, there is usually a very slim margin between this and the other outcome which could be achieved. On one hand, you have SEO's more organic approach, where you gradually cultivate an audience, strengthen trust, and build your brand awareness. I know what happens when an industry closes the unemployment, the poverty, the loss of hope, the years it takes to get back on your feet, the grievances that still play out today. RETRACTED by Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Give us your email address and well send this sample there. Infamously, on the morning following the EU Referendum in 2016 the second most googled term in Britain was What was the EU?. See all Physics resources See all Energy resources . A referendum is a vote provided to the general public which is determined by the federal government, and is used to help answer a crucial political or constitutional concern to which the public need to vote a simple yes or no. Well occasionally send you promo and account related email. Explain the Benefits and Downsides of using Referendums in the UK? GCSE Renewable Energy Sources (1) 4.3 Power from the sun and earth. Included among those shocked was, apparently, the Nobel Peace Prize committee, which had prematurely rewarded president Santos with its 2016 prize. Several arguments are advanced in support of and in opposition to referendums. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. A good example of this is the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement that ended the Troubles on Northern Ireland and set up the power-sharing agreement between nationalist and republican communities. Good examples of this are the Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014 and the EU Referendum in 2016. This suggests that referendums are not always a true representation of what the public wants an outcome to be. It could prove Britain's constitutional moment. within a detailed and comparative perspective and their advantages and disadvantages are illustrated. AV would end safe seats for life. 16 Year olds were also given the vote. Referendums do a good job of raising public awareness of key issues. The question is usually designed to receive a 'yes' or 'no' answer. (28 Jun 2012), Bonus seats to largest party in Greek election Referendums are seen as positive as it is the most direct way for the public to participate in politics and know that their opinion and vote matter to the government. Referendums are a direct vote by citizens on a political issue. They therefore become dominated by populism. Direct democracy mechanisms have been adopted, in part, to counteract these tendencies. The UK EU . If Brexit goes ahead, grievances in communities will worsen, so I say to Labour colleagues: we did not get elected to make our constituents poorer and you know thats what Brexit will do. The reasons for leaving were numerous, including questionable immigration policies, concerns over Brussels micromanaging UK affairs, and doubts about whether remaining in the EU was in the best economic interests of the UK. For example, British voters were given a choice in 2016 on whether to stay in or leave the European Union. (16 Aug 2012), Replacement of polling committee chairpersons? 806 8067 22 Referendums in the United Kingdom. (26 Jun 2012), Experiences of PR open list system? Disadvantages of referendums. Independent schools provide a very positive learning environment for their pupils, with some of the best teacher-pupil ratios in the country, excellent learner support facilities and other resources . Technically, because of parliamentary sovereignty, all referendums in the UK are advisory. (one example of this is the 1975 UK referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EC, an issue over which the ruling Labour government was deeply divided). Another is that voters do not always have the capacity or information to make informed decisions about the issue at stake, and instead may make ill-informed decisions based on partial knowledge or on the basis of unrelated factors such as the state of the economy. For fear of recall, they will hesitate to do any undesirable thing. They have to weigh up a number of competing issues, all of which will be of differing levels of importance to different to voters. Furthermore, if referendums are held too often, voter fatigue could occur. Scots will not be ready for another independence referendum until a stronger economic case is made to break from the UK, according to SNP leadership hopeful Kate Forbes. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the publication, and to remix and adapt it, provided it is only for non-commercial purposes, that you appropriately attribute the publication and that you distribute it under an identical license. . Then, in October, Colombians shocked the world as the narrowest of majorities, 50.2% on a 38% turnout, voted to reject a peace deal negotiated between the government and the leftist guerrillas of the FARC to end its 52-year civil conflict. Referendums have to reduce complex issues to simple questions. The pound depreciation as an aftereffect of Brexit. , Edexcel 6GP01 Government and Politics Unit 1 Exam 20/05/2014 . For example, in 2011, the AV Referendum largely became a referendum on performance of the Liberal Democrats in coalition, rather than a referendum on changes to the voting system itself. However, since 2011 there have been three nationwide referendums. In Britain, referendums had been associated with Nazi Germany, where Hitler had use plebiscites to confirm support for his policies such as making himself Fuhrer (1934) and Anschluss (1938). 1. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Therefore, for an official referendum to be held, the Westminster Parliament have to agree to it. After 1975 there was a gap of 36 years before next nationwide referendum in 2011. Referenda can unite a divided party. In 2007 the SNP won the Scottish Election and did so again in 2011. . With more than 1,000 academic staff researchers and around 80 million new research funding per year, we are dedicated to performing world-leading research with the ultimate goal of improving human health. and then Add to Home Screen. (20 Sep 2011), Manually counting ballots in Block Vote systems A good example of this is the Good Friday Referendum in 1998 which confirmed the history agreement made in Belfast and set out how devolution would work in Northern Ireland. Germany: The Original Mixed Member Proportional System, Ecuador: The Search for Democratic Governance, European Parliament: Elections to a Supranational Body, The Spanish Electoral System - Historical Accident, Finland: Candidate Choice and Party Proportionality, Indonesia: Continuity, Deals and Consensus, Republic of Ireland: The Single Transferable Vote in Action, India - First Past the Post on a Grand Scale, Jordan - Electoral System Design in the Arab World, Japan: Adapting to a New Electoral System, Kyrgyzstan: Electoral Manipulation in Central Asia, Sri Lanka: Changes to Accommodate Diversity, Lesotho: Africas First MMP Electoral System, Mexico: Democratization Through Electoral Reform, Namibia - National List PR in Southern Africa, New Zealand: Learning to Live with Proportional Representation, Papua New Guinea: Electoral Incentives for Inter-Ethnic Accomodation, Poland: Between Fragmentation and Polarisation, Palestine: Political Realities Shape the System, Thailand: Combating Corruption through Electoral Reform, Ukraine - The Perils of Majoritarianism in a New Democracy, United Kingdom: Electoral System Experimentation in Cradle of FPTP, United States: Ethnic Minorities and Single-Member Districts, United States: Total Recall - the election of Schwarzenegger in California, South Africa: Electoral Systems, Conflict Management and Inclusion, Maldives: Womens Representation in Political Processes, Unexpected implications of the open lists and the parties drive to close them the experience of two new democracies: Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0, Practitioner's Network discussing Electoral Systems, Plurality systems where a majority coalition can't override the election leader Component 1: UK Politics - referendums. We cannot let something we know will harm our constituents go ahead. In the UK holding a referendum has to be legislated for by the Westminster Parliament. (one example of this is the 1975 UK referendum on whether the UK should remain in the EC, an issue over which the ruling Labour government was deeply divided). This can mean large portions of the electorate feel dismissed. The Ways in Which Parliament Interacts with the Executive. In fact, until 1975 there had not been a single nationwide referendum on any political issue. What significant national and regional referendums have taken place in the UK? Strengthens government - governments decide when and on what issues referendums are called, they frame the question and they dominate the publicity campaign. Moreover in most of these cases it . It is entirely at the discretion of the government as to whether or not to hold a referendum. This took place on both sides of the debate. "No" voters in 2014 who feared that Scotland might find itself outside the EU - even temporarily - might view the economic risks and opportunities . However, since the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 the Conservative Party had been deeply divided by the issue of the European Union. Direct democracy mechanisms have been adopted, in their bid to out do the other, utilized. Since 1997 and have helped to decide controversial policies bid to out do the other have! Legislatures, in part, to counteract these tendencies in opposition to referendums years before next nationwide referendum 2016... Not directly affect policy 1 Exam 20/05/2014 not been a single issue Government - governments decide when and on issues... Term in Britain was what was the EU referendum in 2011 on Saturday ( UTC+8 ) prematurely... To approve or disprove important so important in a referendum has to be with its Prize... ), Experiences of PR open list system often held on complex issues to simple questions to questions. 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