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Evaluate the view that referendums should be used more often in the UK. (30)
This essay will examine the ‘strengths’ of referendums and determine that these strengths are
not so strong and therefore that referendums shouldn’t be used as often. Referendums are used
in the UK as a form of direct democracy for the public to vote on a single political question,
which may result in a new law. They are useful to allow the general public to have a say and to
participate in politics, and to allow legitimacy by showing that they support a decision. However,
they can be misleading and inaccurate, and not be representative of what the people actually
want.
Some argue that referendums bring large amounts of public participation and political
engagement, proven by the EU referendum, where 78% of the public voted, where usually only
around 67% vote, and the Scottish Independence referendum 2014 where 85% voted. People in
Scotland continued to vote after this referendum, showing that it made people more politically
aware and engaged, even after this major event. However, there are stronger arguments
against participation being a strength, for example, referendums with a significantly low turnout,
like the Welsh Devolution referendum 2011, where only 36% voted, and the AV Voting System
referendum 2011, where 42% voted. The fact that less than half of the people voted, shows that
the result is not representative of the whole country and is not accurate. Also, the EU
referendum encouraged the public to lose faith in parliament and the political system, since the
UK has not left the EU 3 years after the referendum was done. This suggests to the public that
their votes do not matter, and could decrease participation in the future. Overall, engagement is
shown to be significant in some referendums, however, in most cases, there tends to be low
levels of political engagement, and not an accurate representation of the public's views.
Referendums can bring legitimacy as the people’s voice can be heard, and they can help make
a political choice as it shows that they support a decision. This is shown again by the Scottish
Independence referendum, where 55% chose to remain part of the UK, the AV referendum
where 65% voted against it, and by the EU referendum where 52% voted to leave the EU. It
was also the original form of democracy from Ancient Athens, which was direct and unmediated
by representatives. However, it's only advisory and isn't legally binding. It clashes with the
representative democracy the UK should be as parliament are sovereign, although MPs feel
that they are politically binding. This issue is shown by Brexit, the biggest political crisis in 60
years. It undermines the legitimacy of the political process as the 48% of people who voted to
remain feel ignored as their views don’t seem to be at all considered. Also, political leaders can
try to engineer the result that they desire, like Alex Salmond allowing 16 and 17 year olds to
vote in the Scottish Independence referendum as he thought that the younger generation would
vote to leave as he wanted. He also held the referendum on the 700th anniversary of the battle
of Bannockburn. This is also shown by David Cameron’s original question for the EU
referendum which was “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?”
which would make the public more inclined to agree with the question and say yes, rather than
making a choice. Overall, although people's voices can be heard, legitimacy in referendums are
not accurate as they are not legally binding, and political leaders can engineer a result.
Some say that referendums increase the quality of decision-making as forms of direct
democracy such as referendums and citizens juries are common in local democracies. E-
petitions can also lead to referendums, for example, there were 400,000 signatures demanding
an EU referendum- a reason why Cameron did it. However, some decisions can be too complex
for the general public to make, like the AV voting system referendum, as 65% of people voted
against it mostly because they didn't understand what it was. Also, the public can be
Evaluate the view that referendums should be used more often in the UK. (30)
This essay will examine the ‘strengths’ of referendums and determine that these strengths are
not so strong and therefore that referendums shouldn’t be used as often. Referendums are used
in the UK as a form of direct democracy for the public to vote on a single political question,
which may result in a new law. They are useful to allow the general public to have a say and to
participate in politics, and to allow legitimacy by showing that they support a decision. However,
they can be misleading and inaccurate, and not be representative of what the people actually
want.
Some argue that referendums bring large amounts of public participation and political
engagement, proven by the EU referendum, where 78% of the public voted, where usually only
around 67% vote, and the Scottish Independence referendum 2014 where 85% voted. People in
Scotland continued to vote after this referendum, showing that it made people more politically
aware and engaged, even after this major event. However, there are stronger arguments
against participation being a strength, for example, referendums with a significantly low turnout,
like the Welsh Devolution referendum 2011, where only 36% voted, and the AV Voting System
referendum 2011, where 42% voted. The fact that less than half of the people voted, shows that
the result is not representative of the whole country and is not accurate. Also, the EU
referendum encouraged the public to lose faith in parliament and the political system, since the
UK has not left the EU 3 years after the referendum was done. This suggests to the public that
their votes do not matter, and could decrease participation in the future. Overall, engagement is
shown to be significant in some referendums, however, in most cases, there tends to be low
levels of political engagement, and not an accurate representation of the public's views.
Referendums can bring legitimacy as the people’s voice can be heard, and they can help make
a political choice as it shows that they support a decision. This is shown again by the Scottish
Independence referendum, where 55% chose to remain part of the UK, the AV referendum
where 65% voted against it, and by the EU referendum where 52% voted to leave the EU. It
was also the original form of democracy from Ancient Athens, which was direct and unmediated
by representatives. However, it's only advisory and isn't legally binding. It clashes with the
representative democracy the UK should be as parliament are sovereign, although MPs feel
that they are politically binding. This issue is shown by Brexit, the biggest political crisis in 60
years. It undermines the legitimacy of the political process as the 48% of people who voted to
remain feel ignored as their views don’t seem to be at all considered. Also, political leaders can
try to engineer the result that they desire, like Alex Salmond allowing 16 and 17 year olds to
vote in the Scottish Independence referendum as he thought that the younger generation would
vote to leave as he wanted. He also held the referendum on the 700th anniversary of the battle
of Bannockburn. This is also shown by David Cameron’s original question for the EU
referendum which was “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?”
which would make the public more inclined to agree with the question and say yes, rather than
making a choice. Overall, although people's voices can be heard, legitimacy in referendums are
not accurate as they are not legally binding, and political leaders can engineer a result.
Some say that referendums increase the quality of decision-making as forms of direct
democracy such as referendums and citizens juries are common in local democracies. E-
petitions can also lead to referendums, for example, there were 400,000 signatures demanding
an EU referendum- a reason why Cameron did it. However, some decisions can be too complex
for the general public to make, like the AV voting system referendum, as 65% of people voted
against it mostly because they didn't understand what it was. Also, the public can be
