There is also an argument that governments need a specific popular mandate for any transcendental changes that were not part of the original platform on which they campaigned. The referendum was a rare example of direct, or participatory, democracy in the UK. (21 Oct 2010), Inappropriate Electoral Systems Plebiscite A plebiscite is an advisory referendum. 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 . Also, the government determine when to hold a referendum and could be done to suit their own needs. They have been most famously held in Hong Kong and in Catalonia. The main purpose of the article is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Italian referendum tools and particularly the research hypothesis is to demonstrate why the turnout requirement should be abolished waiting for the work in progress people's initiative referendum draft without the participation quorum. 4. However, after the intervention off the Electoral Commission the question was as below. But what is AV and how would it . The Term Brexit was coined for the process of the UK leaving the European Union followed by the different advantages and disadvantages of it to the country. 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. Constitutional Scholar Vernon Bogdanor argues that referendums can effectively create a third chamber in the legislative process. Tyranny of the Majority A situation in which power over a decision is given solely to the group in the majority. Renewable Energy. 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. Retrieved from http://studymoose.com/describe-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-referendums-essay. In the case of the EU Referendum, significant amounts of legislation, both primary and secondary, has had to been passed since 2016. There is a consistent danger that referendums, because of their binary nature, become dominated by wider political issues and not just the issue on the ballot paper. 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). Lesson Objectives To understand what a referendum is To examine case studies of referendums To analyse the advantages and disadvantages of referendums 3. They have to weigh up a number of competing issues, all of which will be of differing levels of importance to different to voters. Check out Adapt the A-level & GCSE revision timetable app. EU Withdrawal Act (2018) -Also known as the Great Repeal Act this repealed the European Communities Act (1972). Referendums do not have a long history in the UK. Several arguments are advanced in support of and in opposition to referendums. Ok, let me say Im extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. Referendums allow for a single issue to be addressed on its own merits. Therefore this means that politicians who claim to 'represent' the public are not distorting them as . I really enjoy the effort put in. Arguably, this makes the UK more democratic as the general public have a direct say on the decisions that the government makes and although they are not lawfully binding, they successfully require the federal government and parliament to adhere to the publics outcome. Because referendums are often held on complex issues, it is easy for populism to take hold. Not every member of the public will be interested in politics or in fact have a clear understanding of the political system in Britain and this could affect the voters outcome. 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. Referendums have to reduce complex issues to simple questions. First, June saw an unexpected British vote to leave the European Union (EU). Unlike General Elections, referendums allow political parties and voters to focus entirely on a single issue. The Tyranny of the Majority refers to a situation in which the winning side can claim all of the authority. However, since the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 the Conservative Party had been deeply divided by the issue of the European Union. A referendum is a popular vote on a single issue. Referendums spread power. In fact, until 1975 there had not been a single nationwide referendum on any political issue. There are a variety of reasons that a referendum might be held. 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'. constitutional change) have legitimacy, which is correct for any change that affects the governing of the country, May lead to ill-informed decisions, as the public may not know the specifics and consequences of a policy decision (unlike the government), Parliament is weakened, as sovereignty is undermined, so decisions are not made on the basis of careful discussion, debate and scrutiny, Governments can absolve themselves of responsibility, meaning they make themselves less accountable, Government could be strengthened- they decide the timing of referendums and can dominate the publicity campaign, meaning they could influence the result unfairly, Referendums provide a snapshot of public opinion at one time, so may not be the most reliable method of choosing a policy direction. 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First Past the Post does not give equal voting power across the UK. For example, in 2011, the AV Referendum largely became a referendum on performance of the Liberal Democrats in coalition, rather than a referendum on changes to the voting system itself. At elections, voters elected representatives to take difficult decisions on their behalf. people will not respect the decisions that they make themselves. Answer (1 of 30): Good question, and one that throws a lot of confusion in the air. On June 23, 2016, a referendum (public vote) was held in the UK for its withdrawal from the European Union. (25 marks) Referendums are a (21 Mar 2011), Ballot paper design for multiple elections 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. Component 1: UK Politics - referendums. First, many Fintech firms rely on rolling out services and products across Europe. The relationship between the executive and Parliament, The Powers of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to Dictate Events and Determine Policy, The Influence of the Supreme Court on the Executive, The Comparative Powers of the Commons and Lords. Despite the result, the SNP has become even stronger electorally, culminating in the winning of 56 seats in the __2015 __election. AV might reduce the number of safe seats - but it would not eliminate them. 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. In fact, until 1975 there had not been a single nationwide referendum on any political issue. From atoms to astronomy, computers to cars and robots to robust materials, our goal is to transform our understanding of the world to make life easier, healthier and more sustainable. 1. Advisory Referendum A referendum in which the result is not legally binding. 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. Supporters of the use of referendums argue that, in the context of increasing voter apathy and disenchantment with traditional forms of democracy, direct democracy can help to re-engage voters with politics and democracy. This, therefore, gives the decision taken more legitimacy. Referendums are used frequently in the UK. 2. 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'. Above all, the key principle of referendums for any government is this: if you call one, you had better be certain you are going to win. Brexit was . In addition to this, it covers the advantages and disadvantages of customs unions, including the loss of influence over one's country's trade policy and the possibility of . There was a political imperative for this as if the Government had planned for a leave vote it would have been portrayed that they did not think they could win. 3. Cost. Ill-informed decisions - the general public are less informed than elected politicians, and have no political experience. Opponents of referendums also argue that, if the executive has the power to determine when referendums are held, they can be used as a political tool to suit the needs of the governing party rather than the interests of democracy. The increasing use of referendums in the UK has created a convention that they should be used for major constitutional change or a change to the way in which the UK is governed. Several arguments are advanced in support of and in opposition to referendums. The first UK-wide referendum was held in __1975 __on the United Kingdom's continued membership of the European Community (European Union). The referendum, as an instrument of political decision-making, has been the source of much consternation in 2016. (03 Mar 2014), Electoral reforms made by specific assemblies Advantages and disadvantages of the referendum instrument. Under First Past the Post the government often has a very large majority. By necessity, referendums simplify incredibly complex issues. This would allow him to lead a yes campaign. 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. GCSE Renewable Energy Sources (1) 4.3 Power from the sun and earth. This took place on both sides of the debate. We're here 24 hours a day, except from 6am to 4pm on Saturday (UTC+8). Referendums do not have a long history in the UK. Some did so, others could not. [ 1] Referendums, by which citizens are given the opportunity to express a view on specific issues, have antecedents in the Middle Ages and earlier. Advantages of referendums in regard to constitutional changes. This protects representatives in the future from some of the political comeback if the decision appears to be misguided. Scotland's economy will be worse off. Such episodes served to highlight both the seductive attraction and grave perils of referendums for those who decide to hold them. In 2014, had the population of Scotland voted to leave the UK then primary legislation would have had to have been passed to enable this. Most marketers will recommend SEO, based on the . Before 1997, referendums were rarely used in the UK, due to concerns over the conflict with the principle of parliamentary democracy. Rousseau and Mills argue that referendums represent the Tyranny of the majority. Second, in the cases of difficult negotiations over a peace settlement in societies afflicted by years of civil conflict, the prospect of a popular vote on the final deal concentrates the minds of those negotiating on coming up proposals that can be politically sustained. Why is the wording of the question so important in a referendum? What are the Mechanisms for Reform and Amendment? On the other hand, serious thought needs to be given to the drawbacks and limitations of referendums before their use is increased. The ministers indulge in corrupt practices because the people have no control over them. The only real advantage in an uncodified constitution is that it avoids all the problems involved in achieving a codified one. Today's most discussed topic all over the world is the fact that UK will possibly leave the EU. Referendums are a direct vote by citizens on a political issue. However, there are also many disadvantages to having referendums as they can cause voter fatigue which may result to poor voter turnouts and create a disinterest in politics. For example, British voters were given a choice in 2016 on whether to stay in or leave the European Union. EEC Membership 1975 stopped the Labour government from collapsing. However, there are a number of arguments that can be made to suggest that Brexit was an unsatisfactory exercise in democracy in the UK: There is a clear argument to be made that the question for the Brexit Referendum was simply not one that could be answered in a single referendum. Strengthens government - governments decide when and on what issues referendums are called, they frame the question and they dominate the publicity campaign. A good example of this is the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014. 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. This is particularly the case when an amendment to a constitution which itself was approved by referendum is under consideration. The older term for a referendum is a PLEBISCITE . 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. We are driving innovation with industry and manufacturing partners to transform industries and deliver growth to our economies, thereby helping to improve peoples livelihoods. However, experts in Switzerland (where a number of direct democracy votes take place each year) believe that, although turnout at referendums is around 45%, more than 45% of electors participate in direct democracy, since different voters participate in the different votes that interest them. Is the wording of the debate to & # x27 ; s most discussed topic all the! 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