Referendums

Question 1

Purposes of referendums

Answer 1

• enhance legitimacy and participation
• judge public opinons on issues
  -local refs on congestion charges
• for consitutionally significant issues
  -2014 ref on Scottish indipendence
• settle diverse issues
  -1998 refs on devolution
• entrench and safeguard constiutional changes
  -1998 good friday agreement ref

Question 2

Strengths of referendums

Answer 2

• mends rifts in society
  -Good friday agreement
• solves conflict in politics and prevents crisis
  -Eu refs in 1975 and 2016
• prevents gov enacting unpopular policy
  -2004 regional devolution ref
• purest form of direct democracy and shows will of the people
  -EU ref 2016

Question 3

Weakness of referendums

Answer 3

• cuases social rift
• Undermine legitimacy with low turnout
• voter ignorance + susceptible to mis info
  -Boris promise of 300mil to NHS (EU)
  -Electorate comission in 2016 reported the arguements used by leaders of both campaigns included a degree of distortion and their shoould be greater regulation
• undermine authority of rep democracy
• 76% of MPs had supported remain in Brexit vote

Question 4

Referndums with high turnout

Answer 4

Brexit referndum (2016)
* 72% turnout
* 51.9% Leave, 48.1% remain

Scottish indipendence (2014)
* 86.5% turnout
* 55% no, 45% yes

Question 5

Referndums with low turnout

Answer 5

AV refendum (2011)
* 42% turnout
* 67.9% oppose, 32.1 agree

Welsh law making (2011)
* 35% voter turnout
* whether the Assembly should have full law-making powers in the twenty subject areas where it has jurisdiction.

Question 6

Landslide referndums

Answer 6

Good friday referendum (1998)
* 71% agree

Scottish devolution referendum (1997)
* 74 agree

AV referndum
* 67% No