referendums

Question 1

what is the definition of a referendum?

Answer 1

a vote on a single issue put before the electorate by the government, usually in the form of a question requiring a yes/no response

Question 2

give two examples of referendums that have happened in the UK

Answer 2

-vote to stay in the EU (1975)
-Brexit (2016)

Question 3

what are reasons for holding a referendum?

Answer 3

-to legitimise or entrench a major constitutional change
-to ensure public consultation (direct democracy)
-to put proposals to the electorate/ avoid making choices on difficult policies

Question 4

what was the outcome of the Brexit referendum?

Answer 4

-turnout = 72.2%
-48.1% voted remain
-51.9% voted leave

Question 5

why do turnout levels undermine the results of many referendums?

Answer 5

turnout is often very low AV referendum 2011 = 42% resulting in a very questionable mandate

Question 6

why are yes/no referendums often more complicated than they seem?

Answer 6

they oversimplify political issues and overlook grey areas

Question 7

how can government influence the outcome of referendums?

Answer 7

they choose the timing and how the question is worded

Question 8

why is the cost of running, and campaigning in, referendums an issue?

Answer 8

-can be very expensive to hold e.g. AV referendum cost over £75 million
-the two sides in a referendum campaign might not be economically balanced which is unfair

Question 9

why can referendums be argued to provide a stronger mandate for important reforms than elections?

Answer 9

they are a genuine form of democracy and the public has direct say on one specific issue

Question 10

example of how a referendum helped an issue - good friday agreement

Answer 10

71% of people voted in favour of the peace agreement between british and irish gov. that estasblished a N.I assembly, strong public backing helped to solve the issue

Question 11

what impact can referendums have on political participation?

Answer 11

they increase it between election and can engage and educate the public on important issues

Question 12

how many nationwide referendums have there been in the UK?

Answer 12

-3
-Brexit, EEC membership and AV voting system

Question 13

positive impacts of referendums:

Answer 13

1. they enhance direct democracy - telling politicians what the electorate thinks more accurately than any opinion poll
2. high turnout in some referendums e.g. brexit one is evidence of improved political participation
3. they give legitimacy to important political decisions
4. the electorate has surprise the gov. on many occasions, causing shifts in policy that otherwise might not have happened

Question 14

negative impacts of referendums:

Answer 14

1. governments still hold the power, not the people because they usually won’t hold a referendum if they think they might lose
2. low turnout in some referendums e.g. AV referendum suggests that the public are not always engaged
3. they can threaten parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy as it nows seems that big changes in policy require public majority agreement
4. poor quality campaigns can confuse/mislead the public - e.g. brexit campaign may have hidden key negatives about brexit
5. they offer no protection against tyranny of the majority