Outline two differences between a referendum and an election.

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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.    

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Explain 2 ways in which a citizen can participate in political activity other than voting/joining a political party.

Some various methods of participating in politics, other than voting/joining a party, that may be considered are: Pressure groups or being involved in an e-petition.  A pressure group can influence the decisions and interests of citizens about a particular cause. The focus of pressure groups is to influence the individuals in office to make certain decisions, for example; The CBI (Confederation of British Industry) represents 150,000 businesses in enhancing their equality and rights. Like the CBI pressure groups aim to ...

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