This infers that they can help to entrench constitutional change in a system which has an uncodified, flexible constitution and enables the public to shape the path in which Britain is heading. RETRACTED This makes the wording of the question essential. A good example of this is the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014. It provides a level of political support for difficult decisions. Advantages. Disadvantages of referendums. Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, Advantages and Disadvantages of Referendums, Society is more likely to accept the decision. Today's most discussed topic all over the world is the fact that UK will possibly leave the EU. 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. Furthermore, if referendums are placed too often, 'voter fatigue' may occur. 52% of citizens voted to leave and 48% voted for the inverse. A referendum is a vote given to the public which is determined by the government, and is used to help answer an important political or constitutional question to which the public must vote a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Appointing the official campaign groups for each side of the debate. This took place on both sides of the debate. Since __1973 __there have been eleven referendums held in the UK, the majority of them have been related to the issue of devolution. As a result of the legitimacy that a direct vote bestows, they can have an enormous impact in settling controversial issues. Right, so I've got that the adv are: Increases political participation Referendum deals with a flaw in the mandate theory as voters can voice an opinion on a major issue. One of the three . Political pressure. Download Free PDF. For example, an individual might not understand the significance of their vote to a political question, and that it can have long term effects that they may not take into considerationwhilst voting. In the view of many, the referendum created more political issues than it solved. Conversely, in the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum the SNP at least published a White paper to show there were some plans for a potential exit. This, therefore, gives the decision taken more legitimacy. Referendums have to reduce complex issues to simple questions. The EU referendum result led to the resignation of the Prime Minister David Cameron, the election of Theresa May as Conservative leader, and the instillation of, in effect, a new government. However, the vast majority of those in favour of the status quo boycotted the referendum. To this end, the alternatives that are likely to fit best to the sides' interests will be . Soon after, the UK faced high inflation . There are a number of potential strengths of holding referendums within the UK political system: It can be argued that referendums provide a check on the power of the government in the UK, something that is often referred to as the elective dictatorship. 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 . A really good example of this is the Alternative Vote Referendum in 2011. A Second Referendum. These include: Before the 2016 EU Referendum the question David Cameron preferred was should the UK remain a member of the EU?. (19 Mar 2014), Formula for the number of Members of Parliament? The UK EU . This protects representatives in the future from some of the political comeback if the decision appears to be misguided. Furthering this point, the public may be easily influenced by campaigns of newspapers, notable tabloids, or by wealthy vested interests who can afford to spend large amounts of money on a campaign. This is unlike an unwritten constitution because a written constitution is contained in one single document. Technically, because of parliamentary sovereignty, all referendums in the UK are advisory. Good examples of this are the Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014 and the EU Referendum in 2016. 5. Birmingham B15 2TT Several arguments are advanced in support of and in opposition to referendums. Currently, Scotland is in political union with three other countries, (formerly a country, a principality, and a province). On one hand, you have SEO's more organic approach, where you gradually cultivate an audience, strengthen trust, and build your brand awareness. In a referendum the voice of every voter counts equally. List of the Pros of Referendums. The Tyranny of the Majority refers to a situation in which the winning side can claim all of the authority. Referendums are seen as positive as it is the most direct way for the public to participate in politics and know that their opinion and vote matter to the government. Therefore, it is not really the exercise in direct democracy. On the Leave side, however, the EU became a handy scapegoat for a wide range of socio-economic issues with a number of causes. 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. In this referendum 16-year-olds could vote. 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. 2. Retrieved from http://studymoose.com/describe-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-referendums-essay. The public's interests are therefore best protected by 'government by politicians' rather than self-government. . Advisory Referendum A referendum in which the result is not legally binding. The chaos seen after the Brexit Referendum result can in part be attributed to the failure to adequately plan for both potential scenarios. 3. A referendum is a vote given to the public which is determined by the government, and is used to help answer an important political or constitutional question to which the public must vote a simple 'yes' or 'no'. The same day, a referendum in Hungary produced a 98% vote to reject the authority of the EU to mandate settlement of refugees in the country. The immediate aftermath of the referendum was a political shakeup. The reasons for leaving were numerous, including questionable immigration policies, concerns over Brussels micromanaging UK affairs, and doubts about whether remaining in the EU was in the best economic interests of the UK. In most elections this does not happen (especially under a proportional system) however in a referendum there is one winning side and one losing side. Well occasionally send you promo and account related email. Now is the time for a peoples vote on the final deal.. Another argument for direct democracy being used more widely in the UK is that it prevents the government and MPs making extremely unpopular decisions . Vernon Bogdanor argues that just as joining the EU fundamentally altered the UK constitution, so Brexit could, by exposing the very nakedness of Britain's uncodified . It is clear that when voting the UK population was not well-educated on Brexit. , Edexcel 6GP01 Government and Politics Unit 1 Exam 20/05/2014 . By clicking Check Writers Offers, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. Today's most discussed topic all over the world is the fact that UK will possibly leave the EU. The idea that Britain would give up their push toward more equality for women seems low, even if a no-deal Brexit ends up happening. Responsive government - referendums make governments more responsive between elections by forcing them to listen to public opinion, and allow public opinion to be expressed on a particular issue, which cannot be done during elections. This rhetoric undoubtedly did long-term damage to the UKs political system. The second downside is that referendum campaigns themselves can be savagely divisive, especially when the prospect of a narrow victory tempts campaigners to use every argument at their disposal. A good example of this may be the EU Referendum in 2016. 2. At elections, voters elected representatives to take difficult decisions on their behalf. These topic pages provide a quick overview and easy access to all content that can be found on ACE for any give topic of interest - weather encyclopaedia files, electoral materials, comparative data, consolidated replies, case studies, or other. Political division in both the UK and Colombia has been markedly intensified by the 2016 campaigns there.. In fact, research done by the Guardian Newspaper found a 4% difference in voting intention based on the alternative wording of the questions a very significant swing! Representative Democracy Democracy in which power over decision making is given to elected representatives. 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 . The ministers indulge in corrupt practices because the people have no control over them. (15 Jun 2015), Direct Democratic Elections in Lebanon - How to Get There Referendums can undermine representative democracy. Referendums can challenge parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy. Weakens parliament - referendums undermine parliamentary sovereignty, and are decisions that are not made on the basis of deliberation and debate. The Liberal Democrats, who were long-time supporters of electoral reform, insisted on this as part of the Coalition Agreement. Brexit involves the process of negotiating new trade deals, citizen registration rules, borders, etc. The strategy failed. There are a variety of reasons that a referendum might be held. (23 Jul 2013), Changes to electoral systems/voting from abroad? When a majority of the people back a political decision, it helps to create a lock in the choice, making it easier to proceed. Has sovereignty moved between different branches of government? I believe this strategy was the most likely way to keep Britain in the EU. What might be some of the weaknesses of referendums? The first is that a referendum campaign opens the space for actors on either side to portray the choice between the status quo and the proposed change as a false one, and to seduce voters with false promises based on fantasies of what ideal outcome might be delivered as an alternative if voters reject the course elites like party leaders have recommended. The pound depreciation as an aftereffect of Brexit. Referendums in a direct democracy give the general public direct and unmediated control over government decision-making. First is their intrinsic worth as an exercise in direct democracy. Referendums can be advisory (where the government does not have to implement the result), or binding (where the government is compelled to enact the result). Disadv: Far too . We cannot let something we know will harm our constituents go ahead. This means that the public vote for a party and are unable to change anything once they are in power. and then Add to Home Screen. On the other hand, there are two very stark downsides to choosing a referendum as the way to resolve an issue. A good example of a post-legislative referendum was the AV Referendum where a bill had been written and agreed and the referendum was the final stage in the process. Referendums have become more widely used since 1997 and have helped to decide controversial policies. Because referendums are often held on complex issues, it is easy for populism to take hold. referendums. In the case of the EU Referendum, significant amounts of legislation, both primary and secondary, has had to been passed since 2016. This suggests that referendums are not usually a true rendering of the particular public wants an result to be. Advantages. Essay on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Trade. It undermined representative democracy. 1. Investigating any wrongdoing relating to the referendum. Psephology The study of the statistics and probabilities surrounding elections. A successful referendum is incumbent on the ability to deliver on either of its potential outcomes and the EU Referendum in 2016 did not fulfil this criterion. This ensures any newly created public body has democratic legitimacy. people will not respect the decisions that they make themselves. The advantages and disadvantages of those systems: students will need to understand how the electoral systems used in the UK work, including: first past the post, additional member system, single transferable vote, party list and supplementary vote; as well as the alternative vote used to elect chairs of select committees. Executives and legislatures, in their bid to out do the other, have utilized the referendum to secure their political goals. prevent government from making unpopular decisions. They can be seen as advantages for the democracy but also as disadvantages. They are currently taking the UK Government to the Supreme Court over the refusal of Westminster to countenance a second independence referendum. Similarly, in the period following the collapse of the Soviet Union there was an explosion in . The legislative refers the question to the electorate. Possible Constraints on a Prime Ministers Power. In total 406 constituencies voted Leave in the Brexit Referendum but only around 160 MPs had voted to leave. Do the advantages of referendums outweigh the disadvantages? 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