Outline two differences between a referendum and an election.
Outline two differences between a referendum and an election.
Elections and Referendums are commonly mistaken for being distinctively similar, but in fact they have many differences, for example; An Election is a official decision making process by which citizens vote for an individual to hold public office whereas a referendum is a direct vote in which voters are asked to agree/disagree with a particular proposition. A referendum is seen as a form of direct democracy; the electorates influence the decision being made, although referendums are not legally binding, where as election are. An election is a form of representative democracy; electorates vote for a specific individual/party to make the decisions for the public. Referendums are usually held when the controlling government sees an issue arise, referendums are a form of solving that issue by asking the opinion of the public. Referendums can be held on a local, regional/ national level. Elections however are held consecutively every 4 years; this emphasizes the representation of direct democracy as the citizens have little say, unlike referendums, which are usually held at the peak of a public disruption.