Referendums

Question 1

What is a problem with representative democracy?

Answer 1

When a party is elected, there is no way of knowing if the electorate supported all or only parts of the winning party’s programme.
Elections are rarely fought on a single issue. It is possible that the electorate liked the winning party’s manifesto but not all of it!

Question 2

How can you find out whether voters support a particular policy?

Answer 2

Ask them to vote YES or NO on a single issue.

Question 3

What is a referendum?

Answer 3

A vote on a single issue.
It is a way of having a direct democracy within a system of representative democracy.

Question 4

What happened in the 1997 Scottish devolution vote?

Answer 4

40% of the total electorate had to agree.
Even though the yes vote won, it didn’t have the necessary 40% of the whole electorate.

Question 5

Are referendums legally binding?

Answer 5

In the UK, referendums are NOT legally binding as Parliament is sovereign (the ultimate law making body).

HOWEVER, it would be unlikely that a Government would ignore the express wishes of the people.

NOTE: Parliament accepted the BREXIT vote, even though most MPs were remainders. But, they wouldn’t except a “No-Deal”.

Question 6

Give two differences between an election and a referendum:

Answer 6

Elections vote on a variety of issues, whereas referendums vote on single issues.
Elections are compulsory/ regular, whereas referendums are not compulsory/ irregular.
Elections are binding, whereas referendums are not binding.

Question 7

Give 4 of 6 reasons when/ why referendums are used:

Answer 7

To provide legitimacy for reforms
When there is a division within a government or governing party on an issue
A coalition deal between political parties
In response to pressure
When govt is reluctant to take a final decision, and thus responsibility for the choice
For local issues

Question 8

What was the Good Friday Agreement? How did a referendum help the agreement?

Answer 8

A peace agreement between the British and Irish government, and most of the political parties in Northern Ireland, about the future governance of Northern Ireland.
The agreement established a Northern Ireland Assembly, where both nationalists and unionists would share power in government.

81% turnout, 71% in favour

Question 9

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

Answer 9

Referendums vote on a single issue, and elections vote on a variety of issues.
Voters may not support all of the party policies of a governing party, but it’s hard to tell which ones these are without referendums.

Question 10

How did referendums help the Labour government in the 1970s?

Answer 10

In the 70s, the Labour govt was sharply divided over the UK’s EEC membership.
67.23% voted to stay.

Question 11

What are entrenched laws?

Answer 11

Laws that have a more difficult process for amendment or repeal than normal laws.

Question 12

Why can referendums be said to entrench UK constitutional reforms, even though Parliament is sovereign?

Answer 12

Parliament could ignore the referendum results, or overturn them as a late date.
But, politically, public pressure and the threat of the next election makes this very difficult.

Question 13

What impact can referendums have on political participation?
Give an example.

Answer 13

Referendums can encourage political participation in between elections.

Scottish Independence Referendum… included 16-17 year olds. Around 75% participated. 97% said they’d vote again in future referendums, and 3% didn’t know.

Question 14

What is the Electoral Commission, and what influence does it have on UK referendums?
Give an example.

Answer 14

The Electoral Commission helps to ensure that referendums are conducted fairly. It monitors the questions and recommends changes if they’re found to be biased/ unfair.

It makes sure that UK referendums aren’t biased/ unfair.

Eg. Alex Salmond’s preferred referendum question was recommended to be changed by the Electoral Commission to be more neutral.

Question 15

Give 3 arguments FOR referendums

Answer 15

• “Pure democracy”. The will of the people is unambiguous.
• Participation: as an ‘antidote’ to indifference and alienation.
  Education
• Provide a “check” on government power
• They strengthen and entrench (special power protecting it) the constitution -> although the opposite happened with BREXIT
• They CAN strengthen government and provide political stability, which occurs in two ways (when there is division in govt and to bind a coalition together).

Question 16

Why do turnout levels undermine the results of many referendums?

Answer 16

Referendum turnout is often very low, resulting in a questionable mandate.

Question 17

What is voter fatigue? When might it happen?

Answer 17

A lack of interest in upcoming elections and referendums.
Can be experienced when citizens are required to vote too often.

Question 18

Why have some people joked about the issue of Scottish independence being a ‘neverendum’?

Answer 18

It failed to settle the controversial issue.
The referendum showed that around 44% were in favour of independence, so they were unlikely to stop campaigning for it, so the will of the people wasn’t settled.

Question 19

Why are ‘Yes/ No’ referendums often more complicated than they appear?

Answer 19

They oversimplify complicated debates that many voters might not fully understand. Few political issues are that simple.

Question 20

How can the government influence the outcome of referendums?

Answer 20

They can use its influence over the timing and question to their advantage

Question 21

Why do some critics argue that referendums can become opinion polls for some voters?

Answer 21

They focus on the government’s performance rather than the key issue.

Question 22

Why can it be argued that political issues should be left to elected representatives rather than self-interest voters?

Answer 22

Citizens usually vote for self-interest and representatives vote for national interest.
Elected representatives are arguably better-placed to make difficult decisions that are in national interest.

Question 23

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

Answer 23

It cost over £75 million to hold the 2011 AV referendum.
The two sides in the referendum may be very unequally resourced for the campaign.

Question 24

How can referendums create a CLASH between Representative Democracy and Direct Democracy? Give the three points.

Answer 24

1) Undermined the sovereignty of Parliament
2) Created an impression of conflict between Parliament and the general public
3) Created a Constitutional Crisis

Question 25

Give 3 arguments AGAINST referendums:

Answer 25

There can be a clash between representative and direct democracy
Referendums aren’t appropriate to deal with complex questions
Low turnouts mean that political legitimacy is not guaranteed
“Neverendums”
Governments have real control over referendums
Ill-informed decisions

Question 26

Why might people make ill-informed decisions in referendums? Give two ways

Answer 26

Ignorance/ lack of clear information
Too emotional
Media can be too influential, in the hands of few such as Elon Musk
Danger of “tyranny of the majority”, undermining minorities

Question 27

Would the introduction of “initiative” referendums be an ideal way to improve UK democracy?

Answer 27

The people can trigger a referendum from the ‘grass roots’, such as by a petition.
California has done successful referendums using initiatives before.

Question 28

You may argue that referendums don’t s_________ and entrench the c___________ because BREXIT undermined the sovereignty of Parliament and arguably created a c______________ crisis, a clash between representative and direct democracy. Although, some may argue that this was a rare case, and referendums usually don’t cause this issue.

Answer 28

strengthen
constitution
constitutional

Question 29

Some may say that referendum participation is not an “antidote” to indifference and alienation, since they usually have either very h____ or very l__ turnouts, and the ones with low turnouts can actually r______ legitimacy.

Answer 29

high
low
reduce

Question 30

Give an example of when a referendum had good education and bad education. What did this result in?

Answer 30

Scottish Independence -> good education -> high turnout
2011 AV system -> bad education -> low turnout

Question 31

Some may argue that the argument for referendums: “pure democracy” - the will of the people being unambiguous- is limited in the way that low voter turnout can continue to cause issues. Also, there may be tyranny of the majority and the p_____ may not be best to make choices.

Answer 31

public

Question 32

How might you argue against the idea that referendums give too simplistic questions for such complicated political issues?

Answer 32

If too complex, the public won’t understand.
People might only vote for the sake of voting.

Question 33

How might you argue that the government doesn’t have much control over referendums?

Answer 33

The electoral commission helps to ensure that referendum questions aren’t biased.
They can come from the ‘grass roots’ (initiatives).

Question 34

What is collective cabinet responsibility?

Answer 34

Means that the government should stand together and resign if in disagreement.

Question 35

What does ‘semi-entrenched’ mean?

Answer 35

Not legally, but moral pressure

Question 36

What is prorogation?

Answer 36

Discontinuing a session of Parliament or other legislative assembly without dissolving it.