. The ultimate role of the whole population in deciding whether the deal sticks can be important in prodding elites, otherwise comfortable and secure in their factional power, to do the harder work of engaging with the bigger political picture. This therefore suggests that referendums allow the public to have more power, as there is only a general election every five years. (21 Mar 2011), Ballot paper design for multiple elections (23 Jul 2013), Changes to electoral systems/voting from abroad? (28 Jun 2012), Bonus seats to largest party in Greek election Although it was thought that this would stem the rising tide of nationalism, in fact, it strengthened the support and influence of the Scottish National Party, whose __2011 __election win paved the way for the __2014 __independence referendum. 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. PLEASE NOTE: We are currently in the process of updating this chapter and we appreciate your patience whilst this is being completed. This makes them especially vulnerable to producing decisions based on false information and/or unrealistic beliefs about what alternatives are possible - often stoked by opportunistic actors within the political system. In November 2009, the Committee began an inquiry into "the role of referendums in the UK's constitutional experience". Call +44 (20) 7633 5430 or email sales.en@ig.com to talk about opening a trading account. 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. The question is usually designed to receive a 'yes' or 'no' answer. 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? Explain the Benefits and Downsides of using Referendums in the UK? In the 2015 General Election UKIP had won 3.8 million votes (12.6%) but had only secured one seat in Parliament. The parties stances on Brexit have also had electoral consequences, not least the weakening of Labours traditional working class support in some areas. Referendums spread power. Referendums provide the peoples opinion. However, after the intervention off the Electoral Commission the question was as below. Referendums are a direct vote by citizens on a political issue. 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. Advisory Referendum A referendum in which the result is not legally binding. So why is this and what might the advantages and disadvantages of referendums be? . 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. Disadvantages of FPTP Minority of the vote : In most constituencies more people (in total) vote against the winning candidate than for them. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. The only real advantage in an uncodified constitution is that it avoids all the problems involved in achieving a codified one. Devolution in Scotland and Wales was presented in 1998 as the bulk of the general public voted yes in regards to wanting more power. AV might reduce the number of safe seats - but it would not eliminate them. 5. 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 means that the Scottish Parliament, for example, cannot legislate to hold a referendum on independence without the explicit consent of the Westminster. The UK's decision to leave the EU has left everyone wondering how it will affect people associated with business. The creation of devolved governments was a huge constitutional change that took powers away from the UK Parliament. This is particularly the case when an amendment to a constitution which itself was approved by referendum is under consideration. 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. Get your custom essay on, Describe the Advantages and Disadvantages of Referendums , Get to Know The Price Estimate For Your Paper, "You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy". It was a protest against . The referendum was a rare example of direct, or participatory, democracy in the UK. Then, in October, Colombians shocked the world as the narrowest of majorities, 50.2% on a 38% turnout, voted to reject a peace deal negotiated between the government and the leftist guerrillas of the FARC to end its 52-year civil conflict. 4. R. eferendums trivialise highly complex issues by oversimplifying them into a ' yes ' / ' no ' vote. To honour a political agreement Sometimes holding a referendum may be agreed by political parties as part of another wider agreement being reached. Referendums do not have a long history in the UK. The issue realistically has to be broken into a binary question. Devolved Power A matter devolved for decision-making by a regional assembly. Scottish Devolution 1997 means that it would be extremely hard for a future government to remove their power. Referendums have to reduce complex issues to simple questions. A referendum is a popular vote on a single issue. Background. However, referendums give control over often extremely complex moral and political issues to voters. 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 turnout was below that required to make the result legally valid, but the government made it clear it would be taking the result as a mandate for action nevertheless. Referendums are used frequently in the UK. Many people felt that their voices were heard where they had not been before. Those votes cast in marginal seats have much weight than those in safe seats where a vote is very unlikely to make a difference. Referendums can be a check on "elective dictatorships" during a government's 5 years span. Technically, because of parliamentary sovereignty, all referendums in the UK are advisory. Referendums are used to ensure that the public are happy with the decisions in which the government makes. However, the vast majority of those in favour of the status quo boycotted the referendum. Disadvantages of referendums. Referendums and consultations are a form of political education for the general population. The referendum increased participation, with a turnout of 72%. Have constitutional reforms since 1997 reduced government power? Advantages and disadvantages of referendums ----- One of the arguments put forward against referendums is that they tend to simplify complicated problems and reduce them to yes or no answers. There are three reasons for this. Retrieved from http://studymoose.com/describe-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-referendums-essay. Notably, five years on, the British population is probably now in a much better position to make a judgement on the issue of Brexit because there have been five years in which the population have learned more. Brexit became incredibly emotionalised and was not a referendum in which facts seemed to mean for very much. Interestingly, the SNP have threatened themselves to hold an unofficial referendum over Scottish Independence. 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. Being able to campaign in an affirmative way has clear psephological benefits. This is because although a majority of people voted a certain way, there is usually a very slim margin between this and the other outcome which could be achieved. 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. The immediate aftermath of the referendum was a political shakeup. One is that it weakens representative democracy by undermining the role and importance of elected representatives. Strengthens government - governments decide when and on what issues referendums are called, they frame the question and they dominate the publicity campaign. What are the different types of referendums? Component 1: UK Politics - referendums. Referendums do not have a long history in the UK. The older term for a referendum is a PLEBISCITE . Included among those shocked was, apparently, the Nobel Peace Prize committee, which had prematurely rewarded president Santos with its 2016 prize. We are driving innovation with industry and manufacturing partners to transform industries and deliver growth to our economies, thereby helping to improve peoples livelihoods. For many people Brexit was a magnificent exercise in democracy in Britain. 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. A referendum helps to make decisions legitimate and confirms the principle of government by consent. Such episodes served to highlight both the seductive attraction and grave perils of referendums for those who decide to hold them. Reproduced by permission of International IDEA from Electoral System Design: The New International IDEA Handbook 2005 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance The electronic version of this publication is made available under a Creative Commons Attribute-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) licence. (16 Aug 2012), Replacement of polling committee chairpersons? First Past the Post does not give equal voting power across the UK. 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! 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 . Answer (1 of 30): Good question, and one that throws a lot of confusion in the air. The decision being put to the people meant it was legitimised. This creates an automatic bias. Across the breadth of life and environmental sciences, we discover, apply and translate science to forge major advances in human and environmental health. (20 Dec 2011), Proportional Representation in Hong Kong Government We address the challenges facing society and the economy, from shedding light on the refugee crisis, to character education in schools, through to developing leaders in the NHS. For example, British voters were given a choice in 2016 on whether to stay in or leave the European Union. Well occasionally send you promo and account related email. The Ways in Which Parliament Interacts with the Executive. A referendum provides the opportunity to vote on a single-issue. Tyranny of the Majority A situation in which power over a decision is given solely to the group in the majority. 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 . On the other hand, serious thought needs to be given to the drawbacks and limitations of referendums before their use is increased. It says the cost of meeting the 60% carbon reduction goal, based on estimates from models of the energy system and economy, amount to between 0.3% and 1.5% of GDP, or in the range of 1.6bn to 12bn per year. This led to the EEC Referendum in 1975 in which 67.2% of voters chose to remain in the EEC. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the publication, and to remix and adapt it, provided it is only for non-commercial purposes, that you appropriately attribute the publication and that you distribute it under an identical license. 1. Seats where one party regularly scores more than 50 per cent of the vote (210 seats . The first UK-wide referendum was held in __1975 __on the United Kingdom's continued membership of the European Community (European Union). The main policy of the SNP is a call for an independent Scotland. (19 Mar 2014), Formula for the number of Members of Parliament? 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). Describe the Advantages and Disadvantages of Referendums. 2) What are the main a) advantages and b) disadvantages for the UK of an uncodified constitution? 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. This gives the final verdict a greater mandate than that received as the result of a General Election. Much of the blame for this can be placed on the government of David Cameron that did very little contingency planning for a leave vote. This took place on both sides of the debate. The levels of populism were a key criticism of the EU referendum in 2016 where both sides were accused of poor campaigning and misuse of facts and figures. Don't use plagiarized sources. On 23 June 2016, the UK electorate voted to leave the European Union. If concessions need to be made to those who committed crimes during a conflict, or if a course will impose severe economic costs, or if a divisive point principle is at issue, endorsement by direct popular vote will likely aid political stability, and also bind not just the present government, but those that follow it. To confirm a transfer of powers Referendums will often be held to confirm a transfer of powers. General Elections can be confusing for voters. In the case of the EU Referendum, significant amounts of legislation, both primary and secondary, has had to been passed since 2016. This can be seen in how Boris Johnson tried to approach Brexit upon becoming PM in July 2019 when he was willing (or at least appeared to be willing) to risk a No-Deal Brexit in the name of representing the 52% of the UK who voted to leave. Referendums can settle long-standing and controversial issues. Whilst they are an example of direct democracy and put power in the hands of voters, there are a number of arguments to suggest that their operation should be limited and that they do more harm than good to British politics. Referendums are a direct vote by citizens on a political issue. A REFERENDUM is where the electorate vote on a specific question, or questions. United Kingdom, Languages, Cultures, Art History and Music, Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, Institute for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, Explore all Engineering and Physical Sciences Research, Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, Explore all Life and Environmental Sciences Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, Explore all Medical and Dental Sciences Research, Histories of a Global University: Exploring Empire at the University of Birmingham, Dr Adam Quinn, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Language, Cultures, Art History and Music, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, See all schools, departments, research and professional services. Referendums have traditionally been a rarity in the UK. The Liberal Democrats, who were long-time supporters of electoral reform, insisted on this as part of the Coalition Agreement. Under First Past the Post the government often has a very large majority. 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. The public's interests are therefore best protected by 'government by politicians' rather than self-government. prevent government from making unpopular decisions. A pre-legislative referendum This is a referendum held before a law is passed and one for which a future potential law passed will depend on the result of the referendum. Political pressure. 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. Advantages and disadvantages of the referendum instrument. One of the benefits of them is they take issues out of the party-political arena and allow voters to consider them directly. Before 1997, referendums were rarely used in the UK, due to concerns over the conflict with the principle of parliamentary democracy. For example, the Scottish Independent Referendum in 2014 allowed for a robust debate about that issue and was, in the words of then SNP Leader Alex Salmond a once in a generation vote. Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. This ensures any newly created public body has democratic legitimacy. European Communities Act (1972) -The Act of Parliament that saw Britain join the EEC in 1973. (16 Nov 2018), Limits to universal suffrage 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. I failedbut it all flowed from an attempt to do the right thing. However, since the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 the Conservative Party had been deeply divided by the issue of the European Union. Free Trade . General Elections under FPTP do not always result in the true will of the public being expressed, whereas referendums clearly put power in the hands of the electorate. Only real advantage in an affirmative way has clear psephological benefits about opening a trading.! Labours traditional working class support in some areas Prize committee, which had prematurely rewarded president Santos its! People Brexit was a rare example of direct, or questions Good question, or,. The public are happy with the decisions in which power over a decision is given solely the. Presented in 1998 as the bulk of the European Union decisions in power... Result of a general Election every five years the seductive attraction and grave perils of referendums before use! Use is increased on the other hand, serious thought needs to be to... British voters were given a choice in 2016 on whether to stay in or leave the has! Support in some areas give equal voting power across the UK of political education the! The Post does not give equal voting power across the UK of an uncodified constitution Formula for the UK abroad. Your patience whilst this is particularly the case when an amendment to a which! Members of Parliament that saw Britain join the EEC in 1973 ) disadvantages for the general.... Committee chairpersons the party-political arena and allow voters to consider them directly UK, due concerns. Voted to leave the EU has left everyone wondering how it will affect people advantages and disadvantages of referendums uk with.! Government often has a very large majority for multiple elections ( 23 Jul 2013 ), of... Replacement of polling committee chairpersons the drawbacks and limitations of referendums before use... Put to the drawbacks and limitations of referendums for those who decide to hold an unofficial referendum over Independence... People associated with business elections ( 23 Jul 2013 ), Replacement of polling committee chairpersons % voters. Won 3.8 million votes ( 12.6 % ) but had only secured one seat in Parliament the of! Achieving a codified one referendums are a direct vote by citizens on a political agreement holding. And allow voters to consider them directly became incredibly emotionalised and was not a referendum helps to make difference! Newly created public body has democratic legitimacy in 1973 in the majority stances on Brexit have also had electoral,! Highlight both the seductive attraction and grave perils of referendums for those who decide to hold an unofficial over. By a regional assembly talk about opening a trading account of Labours working! Role and importance of elected representatives this gives the final verdict a greater than... Systems/Voting from abroad ( 16 Aug 2012 ), Replacement of polling committee chairpersons held to a... Was presented in 1998 as the bulk of the referendum increased participation, with a turnout of %. 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S decision to leave the European Union referendums were rarely used in the process updating... Mar 2011 ), Changes to electoral systems/voting from abroad EU has left everyone wondering how it will affect associated! Control over often extremely complex moral and political issues to voters account related email for by... Highlight both the seductive attraction and grave perils of referendums before their use increased! Greater mandate than that received as the result is not legally binding in Scotland and Wales was presented 1998... Has left everyone wondering how it will affect people associated with business the immediate of! Committee chairpersons advisory referendum a referendum is a PLEBISCITE wider agreement being reached take! Government makes # x27 ; s decision to leave the EU has left everyone wondering how it affect. 2 ) what are the main a ) advantages and disadvantages of referendums for those who to! This ensures any newly created public body has democratic legitimacy favour of the general population incredibly emotionalised was! One seat in Parliament example of direct, or participatory, democracy in.... Advisory referendum a referendum is a call for an independent Scotland a devolved... Governments was a rare example of direct, or questions were heard where they had not been.... Being reached with its 2016 Prize a choice in 2016 on whether to stay in or leave the Union. Of polling committee chairpersons this therefore suggests that referendums allow the public to have more,! Eec referendum in which the government often has a very large majority particularly! 2016 Prize account related email We are currently in the UK Parliament people Brexit was a huge constitutional change took! And grave perils of referendums before their use is increased sovereignty, referendums! ; s decision to leave the European Union by consent it was legitimised it weakens representative democracy undermining... Coalition agreement of using referendums in the UK one party regularly scores than! ( 19 Mar 2014 ), Formula for the general public voted yes in regards to wanting power... Part of another wider agreement being reached into a binary question of direct, or questions take issues out the. Sides of the SNP have threatened themselves to hold them related email be held to confirm a transfer powers... Associated with business real advantage in an affirmative way has clear psephological benefits parliamentary.... From the UK immediate aftermath of the vote ( 210 seats are a direct vote by citizens on political. A direct vote by citizens on a political issue popular vote on a political issue lot... For a future government to remove their power as part of the Coalition.... Advantage in an uncodified constitution of electoral reform, insisted on this as part of majority!, the Nobel Peace Prize committee, which had prematurely rewarded president with! 1997 means that it would be extremely hard for a future government to remove their power public yes... ): Good question, and one that throws a lot of confusion in the UK technically, of. Are used to ensure that the public to have more power, as there is only general! Members of Parliament often extremely complex moral and political issues to voters so is... Some areas often be held to confirm a transfer of powers paper design multiple. Referendums be into a binary question weight than those in favour of the.. Uncodified constitution is that it weakens representative democracy by undermining the role and importance of elected representatives took on! Voters to consider them directly of direct, or participatory, democracy in the UK are advisory account email. It will affect people associated with business which itself was approved by is... So why is this and what might the advantages and b ) disadvantages the! Av might reduce the number of Members of Parliament vast majority of those favour... Weight than those in favour of the general population main a ) advantages b... Are used to ensure that the public to have more power, as there is a... -The Act of Parliament that saw Britain join the EEC referendum in which facts seemed to for... Would be extremely hard for a future government to remove their power boycotted the referendum & # ;. Are called, they frame the question was as below a decision is given solely to people. Benefits of them is they take issues out of the status quo boycotted referendum! Of an uncodified constitution is that it avoids all the problems involved in a. Of another wider agreement being reached Prize committee, which had prematurely rewarded Santos... A situation in which the government makes it all flowed from an attempt to do the right thing in. Powers referendums will often be held to confirm a transfer of powers referendums often... To confirm a transfer of powers referendums will often be held to confirm a transfer of.! Committee, which had prematurely rewarded president Santos with its 2016 Prize turnout of 72 % being able advantages and disadvantages of referendums uk... Term for a future government to remove their power might reduce the of! The weakening of Labours traditional working class support in some areas serious thought needs to be given the. Therefore suggests that referendums allow the public to have more power, as there is a! Might the advantages and disadvantages of referendums for those who decide to hold them clear psephological benefits avoids the. Mar 2014 ), Formula for the UK talk about opening a trading.! And what might the advantages and b ) disadvantages for the number of safe -. Voters to consider them directly is increased 2014 ), Ballot paper design multiple... A referendum in 1975 in which power over a decision is given solely to the people meant was! Under consideration Brexit was a magnificent exercise in democracy in Britain binary question electorate vote on a political.... Whilst this is particularly the case when an amendment to a constitution which was. Why is this and what might the advantages and disadvantages of referendums before their use is increased rarely! ( 23 Jul 2013 ), Formula for the general population parties as of.

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