...25 marker Should referendums be more widely used in the UK? A referendum is a popular vote where the people are asked to determine an important political or constitutional issue directly. They have a yes or no answer so the result isn’t indecisive. A relatively recent example of a referendum in the UK was the ‘adoption of the Alternative Vote for UK general elections’ in 2011. The turnout of this referendum was 32.1% yes and 67.9 no. Referendums are held because of the concern with important constitutional changes or amendments. They are used as a way to entrench a change, whatever the outcome of the referendum the new governments and parliaments will not be able to reverse the changes unless they consult the people again; the changes will become permanent. There are many benefits to using referendums more widely in the UK. Firstly because the public’s views on a particular question are clearly represented. It helps to make decisions legitimate and confirms the principle of government by consent. An example of this would be the Northern Ireland Good Friday agreement in 1998. Where the referendum was massively important, and too succeeds it needed a widespread and clear support from most of the community. The ‘yes’ vote was over 70% and was therefore crucial. Using more referendums in the UK could also prevent the governments from making unpopular decisions. There are many positives to why we should use referendums more widely just like there are negatives. Some may...
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...Should referendums be more widely used in the UK? Referendums are a type of direct democracy used in Britain that involve the public directly voting on a single issue in order to make a political decision. This essay will argue that referendums shouldn’t be more widely used in the UK. Many may argue that referendums should be more widely used in the UK because they are a pure form of direct democracy originating from Ancient Greece; they allow the people to rule and make decisions for themselves. A recent example of this is the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, which allowed Scotland’s people to choose whether they wanted to remain part of the UK. However, according to the British constitution and the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, referendums cannot be binding. So, in theory, if the result of this referendum had been “yes”, David Cameron has the authority to go against it— no matter how unlikely Cameron actually doing this is. Even if the people vote with an overwhelming majority on an issue, parliament always has the authority to overrule the referendum’s result thus making them much l ess useful a tool in democracy and wider use of them much less advisable. Others might insist that higher usage of referendums would improve political participation in Britain, as is the case in California, where citizen- initiated referendums (or “propositions” as there are known in the US) are held regularly to help make political decisions...
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... Megan Barry ‘Should direct democracy be more widely used in the UK?’ Direct democracy is a form of government in which all laws are created by a general vote of society. This means that political decisions are put forward to the people as they are the ones who are going to be directly affected by the outcome of the decision. An example of direct democracy used occasionally in society is referendums. A referendum is a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision. Within this essay I am going to be arguing whether direct democracy should be used more widely by weighing up the benefits and the disadvantages of direct democracy and the result on the general public. One argument for direct democracy being used more extensively in the UK is that it gives a more advanced and more accurate representation of the public’s attitude on an issue raised in parliament. Many local citizens do not often communicate with their MP; occasionally it can be difficult for Parliament to come to a decision that accurately reflects public opinion. MPs have to make choices bases what they personally feel is right and is not always entirely what the public want. Referendums give a distinct result that reflects the public’s demands. This is better as the public are satisfied and there is little need for ‘guess-work’ by the government. An example is this year’s Scottish Referendum. The culmination of the referendum exhibited that...
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...and Politics 04) Explain the term referendum used in the extract (5 marks) A referendum is a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision. They may be used to raise issues for discussion rather than to decide or confirm policy questions. In relation to the extract, Walsi is being accused of not having the knowledge base of understanding of actual independence. Walsi was being accountable for shortfall in any economic growth expected and being able to financially match the living needs of people, the needs of all generations - from health / population growth. 05) Using your own knowledge, as well as the extract, consider the circumstances in which the UK government might choose to call a referendum (10 marks) Only one nationwide referendum had taken place in the UK before the alternative referendum. This occurred in 1975 when Harold Wilson (the British Prime minister at the time) asked ‘Do you think the UK should stay in the EU?’ In answer to his question, 67% of the voters answered ‘yes’ so therefore the UK is still part of the EU today. Not only one referendum has happened, several referendums have also been held in particular regions of the UK such as Scotland and Wales. In 1997, voters in Scotland were asked whether they wanted a Scottish Parliament while voters in Wales were asked whether they wanted a Welsh Assembly. The answer to both of these referendums was yes. Also, just recently: - Scotland...
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...The UK would benefit greatly from the wider use of referendumss? Discuss. A referendum is a form of direct democracy that involves a public vote on a single issue of public policy. It is a way of presenting a debated issue to public decision. The most recent referendum was in the UK; the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum which asked the question whether Scotland should break away from the UK or not. There are a variety of arguments both for and against the wider use of referendum in the UK. The use was greatly favoured by Tony Blair and his new Labour government in 1997 because they took the view that referendum was a democratic device that allows people the opportunity to give a direct voice in decision making. Therefore, any decision made via referendum acquires legitimacy because it has popular approval. Moreover, referendums can encourage political participation which will help the declining participation of the UK in the way that as referendums are where people can get directly involve in the decision making, they will see this as opportuniy to contribute to the political world as themselves, thereby encouraging them to turn out in election to vote and increase participation like in the 2014 Scottish referendum where the participation brough about a turnout of 84.59% compared to the 2010 general election turnout of 65.1%. Shown clearly in the example is the clear difference between participation of direct democracy and representative democracy which would greatly...
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...How strong is the case for increasing the use of referendums in the UK? A referendum is a vote put to the public by a ballot by the government. Given as a simple “yes/no” question, they are on a single issue in the country or something the government needs the public’s opinion on. The UK rarely uses referendums, with only 2 put to the UK and 9 otherwise. Here I will discuss whether or not their use should be increased. Referendums can help to decide on issues like education, healthcare, social issues and more for example in Switzerland where they are used to decide on social issues like abortion and gay marriage. However, in most cases, the action/ outcome would have already been decided by the government in control, using the referendum as a way to legitimise what they want. Due to this issue, they can be used to legitimise clearly non-democratic laws, for example Hitler used them to pass what he wanted to happen. Referendums also gain the public’s view on what the government wants- whether they want it or not- yet this makes tyranny of the majority as minorities don’t get expressed and only certain areas are get to vote. The question would have been carefully manicured in favour of the best outcome for the government, as people can only answer yes or no- no justification or adding more even if neither appeals. A tool for modern democracy, outside of the UK they solve a wide range of issues and work well. The voter has a direct choice and say in what the government do, for...
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...Assess the arguments in favor of the greater use of direct democracy in the UK Direct democracy, or also know as pure democracy allows people to decide and vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to representative democracy where people vote for representatives who then decide the policy’s, where they peoples interest’s are meant to be at heart. Direct democracy derived from ancient Greece when people had a vote in what decisions were made, however women, foreigners and slaves were excluded from voting. Now days many countries with representative democracies allow forms of direct democracy through referendums, initiative and recall. There are many benefits to direct democracy, including promoting a democratic and well-cooperated society. People have power and a say, and this opinion needs to be listened to by the government in order to please the citizens. It also provides a responsibility of the government to the people, all people have this power of a vote, and the government needs to listen to peoples concerns, as the politicians and the government will be held responsible for the well being of the people. Referendums are a form of direct democracy, and have been used in the UK many times, with the most recent being the Scottish referendum, allowing the people of Scotland to decide if they wanted to remain a part of the UK. One argument against the use of more referendums would be that the general public are not always as educated in the decision as a representative...
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...advantages of referendums outweigh the disadvantages? (25 marks) Referendums are a device of direct democracy and are a popular vote on an issue of public policy or constitutional reform. They are the most commonly used form of direct democracy in the UK and are used to widen political participation. In my opinion, I think the disadvantage of referendums outweigh the advantages for the following reasons. As referendums are a device of direct democracy, they give the public direct and unmediated control over government decision-making. This means that the public views and interests are properly and accurately given. It also means they cannot be changed or moulded to suit the politicians who represent the public. However, the point of having politicians to represent us is that they have political experience and knowledge to make correct and justified decisions. We have the democratic choice to elect the people that represent our views in parliament. Referendums therefore undermine parts of representative democracy as the general public is mainly badly informed, uneducated in politics and lack political experience. This means that although referendums give the public what they would like in the form of a democratic yes/no vote, the general public opinion could be very bad for the country in the long term. The public's interests are therefore best safeguarded by a government system of politicians rather than any form of popular self-government. On the other hand, referendums could...
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...sovereignty in the UK changed in the recent years? Sovereignty is essential and there is nothing you can do to challenge it or take it away. In the UK sovereignty lies within parliament; Sovereignty was placed formally to parliament after the Bill of Rights Act in 1688 when the monarch’s powers were removed. Ultimate power lies in parliament due to the fact that the electorate vote for the members of Parliament in free, fair and regular elections. There are two types of sovereignty that exist, legal and political. Legal sovereignty is the principle that one body has the authority and right to change any law in anyway it wants to, legal sovereignty in the UK has been said to lie in Westminster Parliament. Political sovereignty is where power effectively and actively is used and implemented, in other words who holds political power and who has can influence it. For example, political sovereignty lies with the electorate at election time, but at other times lies with Parliament when debating legislation and constitutional statues. People argue that the EU undermines Parliament sovereignty because national sovereignty of the British ts citizens is the ability of the UK to decide matters for itself. Membership of the EU has meant there has been a loss of national sovereignty. There are now a lot of EU institutions which are also in power with the UK political institutions and sometimes a number of areas which the EU has had an impact on the independent decision making of UK Parliament...
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...In a referendum, the government asks members of the public to help decide on an important issue. Everyone of voting age has the right to take part. Voting in a referendum is a bit like voting in a general election: people visit their nearest polling station and respond to a question with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer by marking a box on a ballot paper. Referendum on the alternative vote On 5 May 2011, voters in the UK were asked to take part in a referendum to decide whether they wanted to change the way we vote in general elections. They had a choice between the first past the post system, which was already in use, and the alternative vote. You can find out how both of these systems work by visiting our interactive whiteboard on elections and voting, and selecting 'Compare the vote' from the main menu. The Liberal Democrats and Conservatives agreed to hold this referendum as part of the coalition agreement – their decision to form a government together. 68% of the voters who took part in the referendum chose to keep using the first past the post system and 32% wanted to change to the alternative vote. As a result, first past the post will continue to be used in UK general elections. Other referendums in the UK Before the alternative vote referendum, only one nationwide referendum had taken place in the UK. This was in 1975 when the British Prime Minister Harold Wilson asked voters ‘Do you think the UK should stay in the European Community (Common Market)?’ (The Common Market...
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...improve democracy in the UK. Democracy in the UK has declined since the post war dramatically, this is shown in many ways. Participation levels have fallen majorly in the past years and mainly due to the reason that people feel their votes are wasted and so they're not being represented in society and this is the main way that democracy has fallen this has clearly been shown in statistics whereby the norms for general election turn outs was at a high 75% however in the year 2005 it has dropped considerably to 60%. The first, most effective way of improving democracy is to increase the use of the referendum. through this strategy, it will ensure that the public is educated about the political issues at hand and therefore will be more willing to vote in political matters as they understand the question given. Also, through the use of referenda it will increase the legitimacy of the government as the people have given their consent through their vote, especially as the referendum is the most direct form of democracy. This has been shown to be a positive and effective way of increasing participation levels as in the 2014 Scottish Independence referendum when the participation rate was up to 87% which is the highest turnout since the 1950 general election. This would make the UK more democratic as it would include all parts of society whilst having all views expressed. Improving democracy in such a way does have problems. Too many referendums may cause ‘voter fatigue’...
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...government and politics past questions: 2011 1) Explain the term turnout used in the extract. (5 marks) 2) Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, consider why some commentators have spoken of a ‘participation crises in recent years. (10 marks) 3) ‘Deciding which party to vote for is now essentially a rational exercise.’ Discuss. (25 marks) 4) Explain the term wasted votes used in the extract. (5 marks) 5) Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, consider why the first-past-the-post system disadvantages some parties. (10 marks) 6) ‘The use of referendums in the UK since 1997 has done little to strengthen democracy.’ Discuss. (25 marks) 7) Explain the term party conference used in the extract. (5 marks) 8) Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, outline the ways in which the Conservative Party and the Labour Party select their leaders. (10 marks) 9) ‘The main UK parties differ on economic policy alone.’ Discuss. (25 marks) 10) Explain the term cause groups used in the extract. (5 marks) 11) Using your own knowledge as well as the extract, consider why direct action could be said to undermine UK democracy. (10 marks) 12) ‘The most successful UK pressure groups still tend to focus on lobbying the Westminster Parliament, despite the availability of numerous other access points.’ Discuss. (25 marks) January 2012 13) Explain the term class dealignment used in the extract. (5 marks) 14) Using your own knowledge as well as the extract...
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...decision making, and decide questions of national importance, except constitutional change. That is a good idea, because the use of referendums has more disadvantages. Nowadays, with the increase of number of citizen in the UK, although the citizen is a part of the UK, they do want to take part in deciding issues of national importance, and their opinion are really important, but we should know that is difficult or impossible...
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...consent or legitimacy to govern on behalf of the public. 2. A Referendum can be held on Constitutional issues/changes if any changes alter the relationship between different parts of the state (e.g. devolution), or between citizens and the state such as the devolution referendum in 1979 where most Scots voted “yes” but 40% needed was not reached and it was unfavourable in Wales. Also, when there is a history of conflict and an agreement is to be made. Furthermore, If our representatives are unable to come to a decision about an issue or ff the govt feel that there will be much discontentment amongst the public if a decision is made without their consent, i.e. an issue that the people have strong opinions on, such as the EU referendum that is going to take place by the end of 2017. 3. The principle of Parliamentary Sovereignty in the UK means that referendums cannot be binding although it would be very difficult for governments to ignore the results of official referendums. Several important arguments have been raised in support of the increased use of referendums. It is argued that although full direct democracy may be impractical and inefficient in modern, large scale, complex societies the use of referendums is an important mechanism for the provision of some direct democracy which can increase citizens’ active participation in and understanding of political questions. In general referendums are said to enhance the legitimacy and acceptability...
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...said by AV Dicey, the word ‘sovereignty’ is used to describe the idea of “the power of law making unrestricted by any legal limit”. Parliamentary sovereignty is a principle of the UK constitution, stating that Parliament is the supreme legal authority in the UK, able to create and remove any law. This power over-rules courts and all other jurisdiction. It also cannot be entrenched; this is where all laws passed by the party in government can be changed by future parliaments. In recent years sovereignty of parliament has been a In 1972 the UK joined the treaty of accession, this was a statute law passed by parliament. It stated that the UK was now a part of the EU and therefore must abide by the laws and regulations that would be imposed; over 2,900 regulations and 410 directives were added, 43 volumes of the EU legislation. Due to having joined over 30 years after the initial EU was created, the UK has been made to accept laws that had been made without its input. Whereas now, having joined the EU, we are involved in in their creation - this is a key argument for why we should remain a member. Joining the EU has been agued as being a pinnacle point at which the UK lost its sovereignty, as this was the first time in the history of parliament where absolute power was no longer held. Research done by the TPA (Taxpayers Alliance) shows there are currently 16,980 EU acts in force between 1998 and 2007. In 2007, 3,010 EU laws became UK law, while only 993 EU regulations were repealed...
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