The Use of Referenda

The Use of Referenda

A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a

direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or

reject a particular proposal. This may be the adoption of a new

constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an

elected official or simply a specific government policy.

There are many arguments for and against a referendum. Starting with

the positive aspects of a referendum, first of all, referendums are

the most legitimate form of political decision-making since it's the

vote of the people, which dictates the policy of their government in

relation to the issue in question. Basically, referendums are seen as

the fairest means by which a nations' government should come to a

decision on a matter of national importance. A second advantage of

conducting referendums is the presence of direct democracy, which

results from it. This allows citizens to vote directly on public

policy issues. Referendums create in contemporary societies, the

fundamentals of the most self-governing of all forms of

administration. That being direct rule, based on the input of all the

people via voting. Thirdly, the use of a referendum can serve to

constrain the behaviour of elected officials by curbing their

dictatorial tendencies since they know that the voters have the power

to review and overturn their decisions. This awareness may also

encourage them to avoid opportunistic behaviour as well as forcing

lobbyists' to attempt to influence all the people, and not just the

elite who hold power. A fourth plus of referendums is the educative

effect which they on the population, who unavo...

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...er fifty percent of the votes, but is

the new government. Another disadvantage is that referendum takes more

time and is expensive. The fact that the government sets the question

of the referendum makes the fact less truth that referendum’s results

are people’s voice whereas the government does not sets question on

things which matter to them and could be a big change. In referendum

many people do not turn up for the elections so the views of very few

are known. Some opposition to the referendum has arisen from its use

by dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini who, it is argued, used the

plebiscite to clothe oppressive policies in a veneer of legitimacy.

Hitler's use of the plebiscite is one reason why, since World War II,

there has been no provision in Germany for the holding of referendums

at the federal level.