Referendums

Question 1

what is a referendum

Answer 1

a vote on a single issue put to the public ballot by the government

Question 2

what kind of democracy is referendums

Answer 2

direct democracy

Question 3

describe elections

Answer 3

• They are a feature of representative democracy – citizens choose representatives on their behalf
• They determine who holds political office and, in the case of a general election, who forms the government.
• Citizens vote for candidates who stand in geographical constituencies
• An election campaign covers many issues of public policy

Question 4

describe referendums

Answer 4

• They are an example of direct democracy – citizens make the decisions themselves
• A referendum is a one-off vote on a specific issue of public policy
• The choice offered to voters is normally a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ in response to a proposal
• The decision to hold a referendum in the UK is taken by government

Question 5

when were the three UK referendums

Answer 5

• 1975
• 2011
• 2016

Question 6

when was the referendum on the continued membership of the European Economic Community

Answer 6

1975

Question 7

what was the turnout for the 1975 referendum

Answer 7

63%

Question 8

what percent of people voted yes in the 1975 referendum

Answer 8

67%

Question 9

what percent of people voted no in the 1975 referendum

Answer 9

32%

Question 10

when was the referendum on using the Alternative Vote (AV) system for Westminster elections

Answer 10

2011

Question 11

what was the turnout for the 2011 referendum

Answer 11

42%

Question 12

what percent of people voted yes in the 2011 referendum

Answer 12

32%

Question 13

what percent of people voted no in the 2011 referendum

Answer 13

68%

Question 14

when was the referendum on whether the UK should remain a member of the EU

Answer 14

2016

Question 15

what was the turnout for the 2016 referendum

Answer 15

72%

Question 16

what percent of people voted Remain in the 2016 referendum

Answer 16

48%

Question 17

what percent of people voted Leave in the 2016 referendum

Answer 17

52%

Question 18

Give a specific example of a local referendum

Answer 18

Council tax increases in Bedfordshire

Question 19

describe the council tax increase referendums in Bedfordshire

Answer 19

a local authority proposing to increase council tax above a threshold set by central government must hold a referendum to approve it. In 2015, voters in Bedfordshire rejected an increase proposed by the police and crime commissioner (PCC)

Question 20

give a specific example of a national referendum

Answer 20

Political Pressure to hold a referendum on Scottish independence

Question 21

describe the referendum for Scottish independence

Answer 21

the momentum for a Scottish Independence referendum became unstoppable following SNP’s victory in the 2011 Scottish Parliament elections

Question 22

what are the regulations for referendums

Answer 22

• Wording
• Campaign participation
• Campaign spending
• Conduct of the campaign

Question 23

describe wording as a referendum regulation

Answer 23

the Commission comments on the intelligibility of proposed referendum questions. The government is not required to accept these recommendations, but tends to do so.

Question 24

describe campaign participation as a referendum regulation

Answer 24

Groups or individuals spending over £10,000 on referendum campaigning must register with the Electoral Commission.

The Commission chooses lead organisations for each side of the campaign.

These lead organisations:

• Have a higher spending limit
• Get public funding
• Can take part in TV broadcasts

Question 25

describe campaign spending as a referendum regulation

Answer 25

the Commission ensures that organisations and individuals adhere to limits on funding and spending

Question 26

describe conduct of the campaign as a referendum regulation

Answer 26

after the referendum, the Commission issues a report on administration and spending. It’s report on the 2016 EU referendum questioned the rules regarding spending by the UK government.

Question 27

what are the impacts of referendums

Answer 27

- Direct democracy - Parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy - Constitutional convention

Question 28

describe direct democracy as an impact of referendums

Answer 28

Direct democracy (via referendums) has been introduced into the UK’s representative democracy. Positives: - Increased political participation - Made government more responsive on major constitutional issues Negatives: - Created competing sources of legitimacy (Parliament vs. the people) - Some campaign information has been misleading

Question 29

describe Constitutional convention as an impact of referendums

Answer 29

- Since the 1997 devolution referendums, it's become a constitutional convention that major changes to devolution require a referendum. - The Government of Wales Act 2006 allowed the Welsh Assembly to gain new powers if approved by a referendum (which happened in 2011). - The Scotland Act 2016 states that the Scottish Parliament and Government cannot be abolished without approval in a Scottish referendum.

Question 30

describe Parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy as an impact of referendums

Answer 30

Parliamentary sovereignty is the core principle of the UK constitution: - Parliament is the highest legal authority and can make laws on any issue. This principle supports representative democracy: - Citizens elect MPs to decide on their behalf, not just follow voters’ instructions. Referendums mark a shift toward popular sovereignty (power held by the people). - Example: A ‘yes’ vote in the 2011 AV referendum would have required the government to change the electoral system. The 2016 EU referendum exposed a clash of competing legitimacies: - Some argued Parliament should decide on the terms of Brexit (upholding sovereignty). - Others argued the referendum result must be followed to protect democratic legitimacy and trust in the system.