Evaluate the case for using referenda to decide important issues in The UK.

Authors Avatar
Evaluate the case for using referenda to

decide important issues in The UK

A Referenda is the vote of the whole electorate to decide a decision. The electorate being the people living in the nation to which the Referenda applies too.

A referenda is a direct democracy approach as direct democracy is where the whole nation has a chance to vote on a certain issue.

Referenda's are used when

> The government is considering a change of constitutional importance. Most referenda in Britain are for this purpose. This is particularly important for the UK as we do not have a codified constitution, so there is no formal procedure for changing our constitution.

> Where just a section of the electorate are effected by a proposed change, for example those on devolution

> Where the voters have not had an issue of importance raised at a general election, for example the proposal that the UK should join a single currency, the Euro.

There are many advantages and disadvantages to using referenda. The Reasons 'For' Referenda's are

> Referenda's reconnect parliament with the public, this means the public take more notice of politics for that small period of time. Also the issue being decided is usually one that will effect the general voting population so they should take more of an interest in the subject involved.

> Referenda's is where the whole of the electorate voted and this is direct democracy. Direct Democracy is a democracy considered to be utopian type democracy as everyone in the nation gets a say in the issue involved and this is the highest order of democracy you can get.
Join now!


> In the future voting will be made easier as with the use of the internet but best of all information on referenda's will be accessible on the internet allowing voters to understand what there voting for/against and for them to make their own mind up with the information they find.

> Referenda can be used to decide a decision that could not be decided in the House of Lords or Commons. Therefore Referenda's untie divided parties and settle an argument.

There are also disadvantages to using referenda's, They are as follows

> Votes on ...

This is a preview of the whole essay