Referendums

Referendums

1. Disadvantages

   • They are often a framing exercise
     • We often don't want either of the options we are being asked to adopt, preferring that one isn't on the ballot
   • They allow politicians to avoid answering difficult questions properly; they provide a way of letting the political class off the hook
   • They drive out the deliberate element in policy making
     • The referendum question is an appeal to reflexes rather than an attempt to get a thoughtful response from the public
   • Strong personalities, or celebrities whose popularity in no way derives from their suitability to make big decisions often have an undue bearing on the outcome
     • It is more important to have people with popular appeal on your team than to have good arguments
   • They lead to a tyranny of the majority
     • Recently, the Swiss came very close to allowing every citizenship application to be put to popular vote
   • A low turnout can distort results and lead to tyranny of the minority
   • Time and time again, the public don't answer the question they've been asked - they use one question to send an unrelated message to the government
   • Referenda undermine the principle of parliamentary sovereignty and representative democracy
     • Parliamentary sovereignty: the power is taken away from parliament as the people make the decision
     • Representative democracy: referenda privilege the weight of opinion in numbers, than the weight of arguments
   • Referenda take technical issues away from MPs who have the time and expertise to deal with them, and give them to voters who do not
   • Power is exercised without responsibility; no-one is accountable if the policy goes wrong

2. Advantages

   • They increase political participation
     • Voting doesn't just take place every 5 years
   • They can be a check on 'elective dictatorship' during a government's 5 year span
   • It provides a clear answer to a specific question
     • Labour MP,Tony Benn: "When the British people speak, everyone, including members of Parliament, should tremble before their decision and that's certainly the spirit with which I accept the result of the referendum."
   • They deal with a flaw in the mandate theory as voters can voice an opinion on a major issue

3. Background

   • Referendums are more common in Europe
     • Sensitive or complex ethical issues such as abortion, assisted suicide
     • Parties use referendums to avoid damaging internal party splits
     • Referendum on key constitutional issues, e.g. new EU constitution
   • Historically, referendums were the popular method for demonstrating support for Fascist regimes - instruments of dictators
     • They are associated with authoritarian regimes, e.g. De Gaulle's 5th Republic
   • The attitude to referendums in the UK
     • Associated with European style politics
     • Threaten to undermine parliamentary democracy
   • Examples of referendums in the UK
     • 1973
       • Northern Ireland
         • 58.66%
           • Boycotted by nationalists and Republicans
     • 1997
       • Devolution for Scotland (60.4%) and Wales (50.1%)
         • Labour had a manifesto commitment to devolution, no threshold required, two different positions in Scotland and Wales
     • 2011
       • Electoral system
         • 41%