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. . Referendums do not have a long history in the UK. Referendums allow for an individual issue to be addressed not as a broader part of party policies, but on the merits and drawbacks of it. 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. Politicians spend time becoming expert about political issues. Included among those shocked was, apparently, the Nobel Peace Prize committee, which had prematurely rewarded president Santos with its 2016 prize. A REFERENDUM is where the electorate vote on a specific question, or questions. 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. Most marketers will recommend SEO, based on the . In fact, the Government had already tried to use a Referendum in 1973 to settle the Irish issue but it was boycotted by Republicans as they did not feel the settlement it addressed their issues. 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. However, in the 2016 Referendum each of these eurosceptic votes counted equally. 3. Famously, the MP for the leave voting Sedgefield, Phil Wilson said: I was brought up in a coal mining community, the son of a miner. This is because electors lack the expertise to vote on complicated issues like Brexit. Referendums have to reduce complex issues to simple questions. This really is another downside associated with having referendums in the UK as arrters may lose interest in politics. List of the Cons of Brexit. The issue realistically has to be broken into a binary question. Describe the Advantages and Disadvantages of Referendums. . Today's most discussed topic all over the world is the fact that UK will possibly leave the EU. This makes the wording of the question essential. Psephology The study of the statistics and probabilities surrounding elections. 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. (10 Jul 2012), Advantages and disadvantages of sub-municipal wards Referendums can settle long-standing and controversial issues. (28 Dec 2006), EISA - Promoting Credible Elections & Democratic Governance in Africa, United Nations. referendums. Referenda can unite a divided party. Irresponsible government - governments are elected to govern, so should make policy decisions and be accountable for said decisions, instead of handing over responsibilities to the public. 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. Reserved Power Powers that are kept by the Westminster Government and not devolved, for example Defence. Has sovereignty moved between different branches of government? . Copyright Get Revising 2023 all rights reserved. The referendum device is one of the institutions of direct democracy that claim to measure and express the will of the people better than the institutions of representative democracy. It undermined representative democracy. Disadvantages of referendums in regards to constitutional changes. The advantages and the disadvantages of referendums 'In the wake of the second world war, during the process of decolonisation, several countries broke free from their erstwhile colonial overlords following successful referendums. Constitutional issues are a reserved, not devolved, power. Ill-informed decisions - the general public are less informed than elected politicians, and have no political experience. Such episodes served to highlight both the seductive attraction and grave perils of referendums for those who decide to hold them. This has happened a number of times, for example the Welsh Legislative Powers Referendum in 2011. Advisory Referendum A referendum in which the result is not legally binding. Background. 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. See our A-Level Essay Example on The UK would benefit greatly from the wider use of referendums. Discuss., United Kingdom now at Marked By Teachers. Drawing on recent examples, there are clear disadvantages that need to be considered. Thousands ofjobsare at stake in the North-East. Some of these include: To gain legitimacy for an important political or constitutional decision When controversial political or constitutional decisions need to be made it is useful for representatives to get the direct consent of the electorate. 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. However, a clause in the bill said that 40% of the whole electorate had to vote yes and only 32.8% did so, Whether Britain should remain or leave the EEC, 67.2% of voters chose to remain in the EEC, Whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the UK or should be part of the Republic of Ireland. One of the benefits of them is they take issues out of the party-political arena and allow voters to consider them directly. (26 Jun 2012), Experiences of PR open list system? , Edexcel 6GP01 Government and Politics Unit 1 Exam 20/05/2014 . Direct democracy mechanisms have been adopted, in part, to counteract these tendencies. 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. Schools helped with balanced political education over issue allowing them to be more informed. Electoral Assistance Division (EAD). To please their own political supporters Sometimes a referendum may be held for party political reasons and in the interest of a particular party, rather than the nation as a whole. There have been a number of referendums in the UK: For what reasons might referendums be held? 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). (2016, May 11). Plebiscite A plebiscite is an advisory referendum. Third, a referendum may be useful to ensure a broad base of political support for a controversial decision, and lock in a choice that will necessitate riding out unpopular consequences during the implementation. 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. By clicking Check Writers Offers, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. I really enjoy the effort put in. , How would you react if Brexit was CANCELLED! It was a protest against . 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 The main policy of the SNP is a call for an independent Scotland. Disadvantages. 52% of citizens voted to leave and 48% voted for the inverse. 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 . . This is particularly the case when an amendment to a constitution which itself was approved by referendum is under consideration. 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. There is also an argument that governments . To install StudyMoose App tap Unlike General Elections, referendums allow political parties and voters to focus entirely on a single issue. by 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. 2. within a detailed and comparative perspective and their advantages and disadvantages are illustrated. However, there are also many disadvantages to having referendums . Seats where one party regularly scores more than 50 per cent of the vote (210 seats . Direct Democracy Democracy in which power over decision making is but directly in the hands of citizens. First, many Fintech firms rely on rolling out services and products across Europe. Whilst 52% of voters opted to leave the EU in the referendum, around 60% of MPs wanted to remain. Rousseau and Mills argue that referendums represent the Tyranny of the majority. If Brexit goes ahead, grievances in communities will worsen, so I say to Labour colleagues: we did not get elected to make our constituents poorer and you know thats what Brexit will do. 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. The overuse of referendums can undermine the fabric of representative democracy. On one hand, you have SEO's more organic approach, where you gradually cultivate an audience, strengthen trust, and build your brand awareness. Advantages and disadvantages of the referendum instrument Several arguments are advanced in support of and in opposition to referendums. I know what happens when an industry closes the unemployment, the poverty, the loss of hope, the years it takes to get back on your feet, the grievances that still play out today. 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. (21 Oct 2010), Inappropriate Electoral Systems Brexit was . What are the different types of referendums? Political deals. For example, the EU Withdrawal Act (2018) repealed the European Communities Act (1973). To confirm a decision taken by a previous Government Sometimes a party will promise a referendum as a position of opposition to the current government. an academic expert within 3 minutes. 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. For more information on this licence see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0 . Brexit is the abbreviation of "Britain Exit," which refers to the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. (16 Aug 2012), Replacement of polling committee chairpersons? (03 Mar 2014), Electoral reforms made by specific assemblies Citizens are protected from an over-powerful government. They have been most famously held in Hong Kong and in Catalonia. 2. 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. As a result of the legitimacy that a direct vote bestows, they can have an enormous impact in settling controversial issues. EEC Membership 1975 stopped the Labour government from collapsing. EU Withdrawal Act (2018) -Also known as the Great Repeal Act this repealed the European Communities Act (1972). Instrument Several arguments are advanced in support of and in opposition to referendums most discussed topic all the. 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