Referendums.A referendum is a vote by the people held by the government on issue that the government cannot decide on. Or that the government think is too important for representatives of the people (mps) to vote on.

Politics test on referendums

A referendum is a vote by the people held by the government on issue that the government cannot decide on. Or that the government think is too important for representatives of the people (mps) to vote on.

Also a referendum is put into practice when a government wants it not the people also the government not the people draws up the questions asked. So in a sense it is possible for the people not to be able to vote on an issue they want e.g. devolution of a part of the UK. If the government don’t want to have a referendum. Also it is not compulsory to have one.

Elections are compulsory and must happen about every five years even if the government don’t want one. Which is one main difference between a referendum and an election also the government have no control on wording an election or have there power to set artificial barriers for example in the Scottish referendum 1977 over 50% of the population eligible to vote had to vote yes. Even if the yes had a majority but 50% of those who could vote didn’t vote yes than no devolution would happen.

Main difference

An referendum is not compulsory a election is
The government can word and change a referendum in elections they cant
There is a limit to how much a party can spend in campaigning in a referendum there is no such barrier in an election
The government can set artificial barriers such as 1977 Scottish referendum in an referendum they cant do the with an election
The government can set restions on which part of the UK can vote in a referendum again 1977 Scottish referendum only Scottish people could vote they cant with elections it is ...

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Main difference

An referendum is not compulsory a election is
The government can word and change a referendum in elections they cant
There is a limit to how much a party can spend in campaigning in a referendum there is no such barrier in an election
The government can set artificial barriers such as 1977 Scottish referendum in an referendum they cant do the with an election
The government can set restions on which part of the UK can vote in a referendum again 1977 Scottish referendum only Scottish people could vote they cant with elections it is open to all over 18 and the government or parliament cannot change this.
The government can ignore the outcome of a referendum they cannot with an election

The Scottish referendum held in 1977 was the first referendum held in the UK. It was like all referendums to be held later on devolution of Scotland from the UK. It would give the Scots an assembly in which to vote and decide on matters concerning Scotland but did not give them tax-varying powers. The labour party who had campaigned for a referendum held it. In a sense it can be said that they really did not want the referendum held it was designed to boast popularly for labour in Scotland not give Scotland devolution. The barriers set for the referendum was that over 50% of the population who could vote had to vote in favour of devolution so if even a majority won the vote it might not get passed if 50 % of the population who could vote did not vote in favour of the referendum. This referendum was for devolution of power to Scotland. The refferdum was not passed

The 1997 Scottish referendum for devolution to Scotland was a referendum again held by the labour party when they got to power again. The referendum primary goal was to give devolution to Scotland with TAX VARING POWERS 3p on the pound. This would give the Scots a parliament to vote on matters of Scotland but still keeping Scotland in the UK. The primary reason for this referendum was to please the Scots as since 1977 they had heavily been campaigning for the right to have Scotland as an indival state outside the UK. This was wanted to be avoided as this would mean that the uk would have less power in international matters. Also the referendum would give populaty to labour in Scotland .however this time there were no ataifical barriers set by the labour party. Two question were asked did Scotland want devolution. And did it want tax varying powers. The idea was to give Scotland more freedom but still keep them in the uk. Only sctish people could vote on the referendum . the refferdem was passed.

The 1997 welsh referendum for devolution. The same circumstance for abouve to give l;abour more populartiy in wales. To keep wales in the uk whle still giving some power to the welsh. But not to give the welsh as much power as the Scots for example only one question was asked and the was did walse ant devoultin. The welsh were not offered tax varying powers like Scotland. And were not asked if they wanted it. Only the welsh could vote.

the disadvantages of referendums are

The result can be ingnored by the government
It is not compulsory so even if the population dispertly wanted a referendum it dose not have to happen it can only happen with the appovel of the government .
Less people tend to vote in a referendum than an election so casn the result realy represtant the views of the people.
The question asked are drawen up by the government not the people
Atifacla barriers can be set for example the Scottish referendum 1977

If less people vot e in an referendum is the result legitment and is the question really worthasking if a majority of people who can vote don’t so obversly the do not feel stroungly enougth about the question aske.

The result can be ingnored by parliament and the government so it is not law that the outcome of a referendum has to met so in the 1997 Scottish referendum the government could have ingnored the result and not given devolution

The government chose when and where a referderm is to be held it is not compulsory even if there are petions ect it is not like the amercain initves people do not have the power to chose when a referendum can be held and on what the government dose.

Attifacal barriers can be set which are unlikly to to be met which would mean that it would be very diffcult to get a referendum pased for exmaple the Scottish 1977 referendum.

By matthew robert howard mdb