-gives more legitimacy that just a simple act of parliament. Referendums are used frequently in the UK. resolve issues which government and individual parties are unlikely to be able to resolve easily. Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE. Direct Democracy Democracy in which power over decision making is but directly in the hands of citizens. This trend may be exacerbated in the case of referendums on complex issues such as constitutional change or international treaties, with which voters are likely to be unfamiliar. The word "constitution" is also used to refer to a document that contains, sets out the framework and the principal functions of the organs of government within the state, and declares the principles by which those organs must operate. Dr Adam Quinn, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Referendum campaigns themselves can be savagely divisive, especially when the prospect of a narrow victory tempts campaigners to use every argument at their disposal. On the other hand, there are two very stark downsides to choosing a referendum as the way to resolve an issue. Brexit is a major constitutional change. Whilst 52% of voters opted to leave the EU in the referendum, around 60% of MPs wanted to remain. What might be some of the weaknesses of referendums? Possible Constraints on a Prime Ministers Power. Students will be required to analyse and evaluate the characteristics of different systems used in parliamentary elections and in elections to one of the devolved bodies in the UK including: debates and issues around the performance of those systems; the advantages and disadvantages of those systems David Cameron undoubtedly promised (at least in part) to hold a referendum to ease the pressure on his party from the right and thereby win back UKIP members into the Conservative fold. To honour a political agreement Sometimes holding a referendum may be agreed by political parties as part of another wider agreement being reached. Elective Dictatorship A term coined by Lord Hailsham to describe the situation in Britain in which when a government is elected, they can normally govern without much effective scrutiny. The European Union has spent much of their time bringing the country along, often reluctantly . A core purpose of referendums is to engage those with relatively low information about the issues, which is to say the general population, in the choice. Advantages and disadvantages of FPTP system, Advantages and disadvantages of Two-Round System (TRS), Proportional representation related issues, Advantages and disadvantages of Parallel systems, Advantages & Disadvantages of Limited Vote, Electoral System Tiers and Hybrid Systems, Additional Issues Relevant to Post-conflict and Transitional Elections, Electing a President - First Past The Post, Electing a President - Preferential Voting, Electing a President - Distribution Requirements, Elections for Different Tiers of Governance, Electing Federal/State Assemblies and Autonomous Jurisdictions, Design and Political issues of Referendums, Advantages and disadvantages of the citizens initiative instrument, Advantages and disadvantages of the recall instrument, Cost and Administrative Implications of Electoral Systems, Electoral Systems and the Drawing of Electoral Boundaries, Electoral Systems and the Registration of Voters, Electoral Systems and the Design and Production of Ballot Papers, Electoral Systems and Number of Polling Days, Cost and administrative implications - conclusions, Bolivia: Electoral Reform in Latin America, Brazil: Candidate-Centred PR in a Presidential System, British Columbia: Empowered Citizen Participation, Chile: A System Frozen by Elite Interests. Brexit is now a moral issue, and the next few weeks will test our moral resolve. Advantages and disadvantages of the referendum instrument Several arguments are advanced in support of and in opposition to referendums. For example, David Cameron called the 2016 Referendum to deal with the electoral threat of UKIP whilst Tony Blair did not call a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, despite indicating he would do so. Brexit involves the process of negotiating new trade deals, citizen registration rules, borders, etc. PolitiFact | Whats missing from media claims linking Google Trends to Brexit vote, Prime Ministers Questions Highlights 12.10.2022, Whether Britain should remain or leave the EU, 55.3% of voters chose to remain in the UK, Whether the Alternative Vote should replace First Past the Post for UK General Elections, 67.9% of voters chose to retain First Past the Post, Welsh Assembly Legislative Powers Referendum, Whether the Welsh Assembly should be given more legislative powers, 63.5% of voters chose to increase the legislative powers of the Welsh Assembly, Whether the North-East of England should have its own devolved assembly, 77.9% of voters chose to reject the establishment of a North-East Assembly, Whether the Good Friday agreement should be ratified, 71.1% of voters chose to ratify the Good Friday Agreement, Whether devolution should be granted to Greater London, 72% of of voters chose to establish a devolved system for London, Whether devolution should be introduced to Wales, 50.3% of voters chose to devolve powers to Wales, Whether devolution should be introduced to Scotland, 74.3% of voters chose to devolve players to Scotland, 79.7% of voters chose to reject devolution to Wales, 51.6% of voters chose to devolve powers to Scotland. However, when it became obvious that we simply wouldnt join a government at all without a commitment to a referendum on voting reform, their appetite for power outweighed (rightly, as it turned out) their fear of losing power . 806 8067 22, Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, Advantages and Disadvantages of Referendum, See all Government & Politics resources , Can someone please give me feedback on my A-Level Politics essay? They are an example of direct democracy and contrast with the representative democracy that usually dominates politics in liberal democracies. Students looking for free, top-notch essay and term paper samples on various topics. Now we have Britain's rejection of the EU. The issue realistically has to be broken into a binary question. Should UK adopt a written constitution considering advantages and disadvantages? This protects representatives in the future from some of the political comeback if the decision appears to be misguided. The question is usually designed to receive a 'yes' or 'no' answer. Referendums are a direct vote by citizens on a political issue. Brexit was . Physics P1 4.4 Energy and the environment. If there is a difficult decision to make, then a referendum can solidify support for it. Describe the Advantages and Disadvantages of Referendums. The parties stances on Brexit have also had electoral consequences, not least the weakening of Labours traditional working class support in some areas. In Britain, referendums had been associated with Nazi Germany, where Hitler had use plebiscites to confirm support for his policies such as making himself Fuhrer (1934) and Anschluss (1938). However, there are also many disadvantages to having referendums . This is particularly the case when an amendment to a constitution which itself was approved by referendum is under consideration. A post-legislative referendum This is a referendum held after a law is passed to confirm whether people are satisfied with it. An example of this the Scottish referendum 2014, which saw 55% of the Scottish people vote no to independence. A London School of Economics and Political Science report examining the financial impact of Brexit, trade and Scottish independence found that "the costs of independence to the Scottish economy . First described in 1988 1, the number needed to treat (NNT) can be thought of as the number of patients that need to be treated in order for one to benefit.It provides an attractive means of summarising the results of a clinical trial in a single figure, because . Scotland's economy will be worse off. 806 8067 22 To install StudyMoose App tap First, June saw an unexpected British vote to leave the European Union (EU). The Scottish referendum can be seen to have benefited David Cameron as Gordon Brown promised to give Scotland and its own parliament and powers if they voted no, increasing the pressure on Ed Miliband to come through with those promises. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Political deals. Moreover, even when looking at the people who did vote and the outcome which was achieved, referendums can never truly represent everyone and meet societys needs as a whole. (15 Jun 2015), Direct Democratic Elections in Lebanon - How to Get There In a referendum the voice of every voter counts equally. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (political parties) among voters.The essence of such systems is that all votes cast - or almost all votes cast - contribute to the result and are effectively used to help elect someone . Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like How are opinion polls bad for elections and referendums due to their inaccuracy?, Why do opinion polls bring more disadvantages due to their inaccuracy?, Give 2 examples of when opinion polls were spectacularly wrong and more. The theoretical advantage of flexibility is one that is too easily exploited for self-serving reasons. [ 1] Referendums, by which citizens are given the opportunity to express a view on specific issues, have antecedents in the Middle Ages and earlier. With more than 1,000 academic staff researchers and around 80 million new research funding per year, we are dedicated to performing world-leading research with the ultimate goal of improving human health. Referendums do a good job of raising public awareness of key issues. Explain the Benefits and Downsides of using Referendums in the UK? North-East Assembly 2004 rejected the idea of regional assemblies in the UK, with the North-East as the trial assembly. Disadvantages of FPTP Minority of the vote : In most constituencies more people (in total) vote against the winning candidate than for them. However, referendums give control over often extremely complex moral and political issues to voters. There can be widespread scrutiny of that issue and education surrounding it. Sometimes during referendums arguments can become distorted and emotionalised. It creates considerable constitutional uncertainty, but also an opportunity. CHAPTER 1: Introduction. Background. In addition the UK federal government secured the permission of the individuals of Northern Ireland for a new devolved assembly in the province in 1998. Scots will not be ready for another independence referendum until a stronger economic case is made to break from the UK, according to SNP leadership hopeful Kate Forbes. However, although referendums are important for democracy, referendums could be seen to be too complicated for the public to understand. Detailed lesson on referendums in the UK. Some did so, others could not. . The UK formally left the EU on 31 December 2020. There are three primary reasons why one might consider referendums a good idea. Advantages. One advantage of using referendums in the UK is that they enable the public that are over 18 to approve or disprove important . Referenda provide a clear answer to a question the government might be 'asking'. 4. One advantage of using referendums in the UK is that they allow the general public that are over 18 to approve or disprove essential constitutional changes. Those who see virtue in the idea of a more direct link between the popular will and the levers of power therefore admire them as an instrument of empowerment for the too-often neglected people. Second, many technology firms rely on inventors from all . I failedbut it all flowed from an attempt to do the right thing. Those who see virtue in the idea of a more direct . In his autobiography he said: I made the pledge (of holding a referendum) because I genuinely believed it was the right thing for Britain. 5. This took place on both sides of the debate. A referendum is a vote provided to the general public which is determined by the federal government, and is used to help answer a crucial political or constitutional concern to which the public need to vote a simple 'yes' or 'no'. This, therefore, gives the decision taken more legitimacy. . The Liberal Democrats, who were long-time supporters of electoral reform, insisted on this as part of the Coalition Agreement. Retrieved from http://studymoose.com/describe-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-referendums-essay. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. Through the system of recall, they will be under the control of the people. Unlike General Elections, referendums allow political parties and voters to focus entirely on a single issue. Although, other laws may be incorporated into it by reference in its provisions. 5. A REFERENDUM is where the electorate vote on a specific question, or questions. The party promised a referendum on the decision of the Heath Government to join the EEC. This can perhaps be seen by the four years of political turmoil after the referendum surrounding how Britain should actually withdraw from the EU. In fact, until 1975 there had not been a single nationwide referendum on any political issue. Brexit is the abbreviation of "Britain Exit," which refers to the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. 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