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Are referendums good
for UK democracy?
- Strengths
- Allows the people a direct say
in the decision making process
- Therefire people may be more
likely to respect the decision
made
- Government by the people.
- Government by the people.
- Therefire people may be more
likely to respect the decision
made
- Can prevent governments from
making unpopular decisions
- Can help resolve issues which the government
or political parties are unable/unwilling to solve.
- They entrench constitutional change by giving
popular consent to the system of government.
- Prevents political parties having complete control of the political system,
therefore preventing any party from altering it to their own advantage.
- Prevents political parties having complete control of the political system,
therefore preventing any party from altering it to their own advantage.
- Allows the people a direct say
in the decision making process
- Weaknesses
- They might undermine respect
for our elected institutions
- Why vote for our MP's if they are going to
ask the people to make the big decisions?
- Why vote for our MP's if they are going to
ask the people to make the big decisions?
- The voter turnout at some referendums suggest
that they have not increased political participation.
- The issues at stake are often compex:
do the voters have a good
understanding of the consequences?
- Can produce emotional rather
than a rational response,
especially when the issue of
nationalism is involved.
- Can produce emotional rather
than a rational response,
especially when the issue of
nationalism is involved.
- The issues at stake are often compex:
do the voters have a good
understanding of the consequences?
- Wealthy groups, the newspapers
and pressure groups may use their
influence to alter a result.
- There is a danger that a
referendum might become a
verdict on the popularity of the
government: people may use
the opportunity to give the
government a 'bloody nose'
rather than vote on the issue.
- This may represent the tyranny of
the majority over the minority.
Minority groups may suffer as a
consequence.
- They might undermine respect
for our elected institutions
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