Tag: indyref
Beyond anecdotes on lowering the voting age: new evidence from Scotland
The question whether to lower the voting age in the UK has been the subject of ongoing debate. Jan Eichhorn (University of Edinburgh) writes that, although much of the discussion has been based around normative arguments and personal stories, it is crucial to review the evidence so that the empirical arguments prevail.
Risk-takers and referendums: what happens when voters are better-informed?
Voting for change in a referendum is the riskier option. People who voted for Brexit were more likely to be risk-takers. But when people have more information at their disposal, are they more or less likely to stick with the status quo? Davide Morisi found that when voters were making up their minds about how to vote […]
Why there should be a general election before Article 50 is triggered
The Conservative Party is currently selecting a new leader who is expected to trigger Article 50 and begin the process of the UK leaving the European Union. Kenneth Armstrong writes that as the UK will need to set out what sort of new relationship it wants with the EU, there is a clear case for an […]
We need a root and branch review of referendums in the UK
Assessing the role of referendums is a challenge because they are on the fault-line of representative and other forms of democracy. Katie Ghose argues that more clarity is needed on who triggers them, and proposes three essential reforms for future referendum campaigns. Similar PostsLearning the lessons: What other referendums can teach us about the EU […]
The biggest lesson from the Scottish Parliament election: if you are determined to make and act on the argument about identity politics you should do it well
Scotland recently re-elected the SNP to run the Scottish government, albeit with a reduced majority. A new development was the rise of the Scottish Conservatives, who claimed second place after an increased vote share. Here, Paul Cairney discusses the implications the vote has for a potential future second independence referendum. Similar PostsBeyond anecdotes on lowering […]
To appreciate the importance of the Brexit referendum, we must consider the series of constitutional issues that it raises
The Brexit referendum, set to take place in June, has created open divisions in the Conservative Party, with many questioning the sustainability of two warring tribes within the same one-party government. Here, Andrew Blick argues that in order to understand the constitutional significance of the referendum, we must move beyond the politics of the situation, and […]
The Scottish independence referendum shows that young people can be mobilized politically given the right circumstances
16 and 17 year olds were entitled to vote for the first time in any election held in the UK in the Scottish independence referendum. Advocates of the reform argued that it would help to engage younger people in the political process, setting the stage for greater engagement in democracy over future election cycles, while […]
Analysis of Twitter responses indicates a preference for diversity in televised political debates
In autumn 2014, during the last few weeks of the Scottish Independence Referendum campaign, researchers at Robert Gordon University explored the Twitter response to three live televised political debates, each of which involved high-profile participants. Graeme Baxter shares their findings. Similar PostsThe Scottish independence referendum shows that young people can be mobilized politically given the […]
A political earthquake is forecast for Scotland – but will there be a ‘genderquake’?
The aftermath of the Scottish Independence Referendum has seen an enormous spike in support for the Scottish National Party, with polling showing that Labour north of the border may find themselves reduced to a rump of MPs in the House of Commons. But what role has gender played in these events, ask Meryl Kenny and […]
A good servant but a poor master: the difficulties of proposing a written UK constitution in aftermath of the independence referendum
How do you write a constitution for a state in which 45% of the population of one of its founding partners voted to leave a political Union which it helped to create over 300 years ago? It certainly is difficult, and probably impossible. Why should that be? David McCrone does his best to answer. Similar PostsAn […]
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