Democracy and political participation

Question 0

Give 2 referendums with high turnouts.

Answer 0

• May 1998 (Northern Ireland) Good Friday Agreement- 81% turnout
• September 2014 Scottish independence- 85%

Question 1

Define the term ‘referendum’.

Answer 1

They can be loosely defined as: “A popular vote in which the people are asked to determine an important political or constitutional issue directly.”

Question 2

Give 3 defining features of a referendum.

Answer 2

1. They always have either a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.
2. Although they are not legally binding upon Parliament (as Parliament maintains ultimate sovereignty) it is virtually unthinkable for the government to ignore the outcome of a referendum.
3. Usually only one question is posed.

Question 3

Identify the Pros and Cons of referendums. UNFINISHED

Answer 3

PROS

1. They entrench constitutional change as future government will not be able to reverse the changes decided by a referendum without holding another. (Eg: The Welsh assembly cannot be abolished without another referendum to reverse the changes made in 1997)
2. They legitimise a government’s decisions and re-enforce the principle of government by consent.
3. The issues are far reaching and important (Eg: Scottish independence) and so have the wider benefits of engaging people in voting.