3. Referendums

Question 1

intro points (3) setting the scene

Answer 1

1. A referendum is a popular vote on a particular issue, usually requiring a yes/no vote. It’s an example of direct democracy within a representative system.
   2.In the UK, there is no constitutional mechanism requiring refs to be held; instead, the PM decides when to call them, and their results are not legally binding, as they must be approved by Parl, which holds legal sovereignty.

Question 2

intro: agruments

Answer 2

1. the benefits of referendums on the uk’s representative democracy
2. voter turnout and political awareness

Question 3

into: my opinion

Answer 3

Refs positively impact UK democby legitimizing key constitutional issues and engaging the public; despite challenging representative democ, they actually enhance it by providing reps with a more accurate understanding of public opinion.

Question 4

direct P1

Answer 4

referendums benefit democ in the UK by directly involving the ppl in dec making on imp issues = on which the electorate has the right to be consulted.

Question 5

P1 evidence

Answer 5

The 2014 Scottish Indep Refe is a good eg of this.
- The indep of Scot arguably shouldn’t be decided by anyone other than the Scottish people themselves.

Question 6

P1a

Answer 6

allows an important single issue to be isolated and an unambiguous popular verdict to be given.
- This is esp imp when trust in prof politicians is low and when an issue cuts across party lines so that a real choice can’t be given in a GE.

Question 7

P1a evidence - single issue verdict (2)

Answer 7

• eg, 2016 Brexit ref, in which the public disagreed with the
  parl (in which 75% of MPs supported Remain) and in which the CP in
  particular was split on the issue.
• The referendum led to Parl nonetheless implementing the result and many more pro-
  Brexit MPs being elected in the 2017 and 2019 elections.
• result of the ref led to David Cameron’s resignation as Prime Minister, and Theresa May took over as Conservative leader.

Question 8

P1b

Answer 8

The holding of refs bet GE gives the ppl an opp to have say more freq, preventing the gov from becoming unaccountable
- they be seen as a check on ‘elective dictatorships’ and as complementary
to representative democ and parliamentary politics rather than threatening/undermining it.

Question 9

direct CP1

Answer 9

the direct democ of refs are a challenge to parliamentary sovereignty and representative democ in the UK, where the electorate can be seen as ill informed.

Question 10

direct CP1a

Answer 10

The poll system relies on elected reps to make decs on behalf of voters = ordinary people may lack the expertise to navigate complex issues, which are often oversimplified in referendum qs and campaigns, making them susceptible to misleading info.

Question 11

direct CP1a evidence

Answer 11

• In 2016, the Electoral Commission reported that the arguments used by the leaders of both campaigns included a degree of distortion, and that there should be a greater regulation of
  referendum campaigns to ensure people receive a fair presentation of the arguments.
• EG, the likely future level and negative impact of EU immigration to the UK was overstated by the Leave campaign and they falsely claimed that leaving the EU would free
  up £350M per week to fund the NHS.

Question 12

P1 overall judgement

Answer 12

Referendums can enhance representative democracy by involving the public in key constitutional issues, fostering a more responsive political system. However, the divisive nature of the Brexit campaign highlighted the need for greater regulation of referendum campaigns to ensure fair representation and prevent distortion. Overall, they improve representative democracy in the UK and make it more responsive rather than undermining it.

Question 13

direct P2

Answer 13

Refs can be seen as pos for democ and politics in the UK bc they
engage voters and increase their pol awareness around important constitutional issues.
- This esp true of the two most important recent refs.

Question 14

direct P2 evidence

Answer 14

1.The 2014 Scottish independence referendum aired key issues like the economy and Trident, with a high 84.6% turnout, including 16- and 17-year-olds.

2. Brexit’s 72.2% turnout, higher than recent GEs, engaged disillusioned voters and educated many on EU impacts, including sovereignty and trade, ESP ON BRIT POL SYS.

Question 15

P2a point

Answer 15

Some local referendums also have relatively high turnouts if voters see the issue as important to their lives and their finances.

Question 16

P2a evidence and explanation

Answer 16

the 2005 Edinburgh Congestions Charge Referendum received a 74.4% no vote on a 61.7% turnout.

Question 17

direct CP2

Answer 17

Whilst recent refs had relatively high turnouts, this is certainly not the norm, with many refs failing to engage voters, leading to the legitimacy of the outcome being
questioned, as the result doesn’t prove broad support/rejection across the population.

Question 18

direct CP2 evidence

Answer 18

• the 2011 Alternative Vote Ref which had a turnout of just 42.2% despite being a national ref.
• Perhaps more importantly, it can be seen in some successful ref, including the 1997 Welsh Devolution Referendum which had a 50.3% ‘yes’ vote on just a 50.1% turnout
  and the 2011 Welsh Further Devolution referendum which had a just 35.6% turnout.

Question 19

CP2a

Answer 19

those who do turnout and vote during refs do so not because of the specific constitutional issue at stake, but in order to protest against the
political class of the day/a particular party. This can be seen as negative for democracy and
politics in the UK, as highly consequential changes can be made because of factors entirely
separate to the issue itself.

Question 20

CP2a evidence

Answer 20

• Brexit Ref, where many who voted for Brexit did so due to a feeling of being ‘left behind’ by the UK political system and channelled this into anti-EU sentiments.
• the rejection of AV in the 2011 Alternative Vote Referendum, for example, can be seen in
  large part as a protest against the Liberal Democrats who had become unpopular since the 2010 General Election because of their U-turn on a pledge to scrap tuition fees, which had gained them a lot of support in 2010

Question 21

P2 overall judgement

Answer 21

Overall, recent referendums show how they can be important in engaging voters and increasing political awareness, despite low turnouts for some.

Question 22

conclusion

Answer 22

In conc, refs positively impact democin the UK by legitimizing key constitutional issues and actively engaging the public in important political matters. While they can challenge representative democracy, this is mainly due to its shortcomings in representation.
- Refs actively involving and engaging the people in key political issues.