Use of Focus Groups and Referenda in UK

A detailed Summary of Use of Focus Groups and Referenda in UK

Does British and foreign experience support the view that the greater use of focus groups and referenda today are signs of a healthy democracy? Alternatively do they undermine the role of parliament?

Increasingly in Britain today the use of focus groups is becoming more and more common, not just by research institutions but by the government. A focus group is a small selection of people who represent the country, as there will be people present from all areas in Britain, all ages etc. The focus group is then asked questions to which it is to discuss and then to provide answers to the questions. More often than not these opinions are used simply to reassure the government, but more recently they have been used to form the new policies in areas that would have been otherwise neglected by the government. Referenda are now also taking a larger role, with several being held in the last few years. It may not be long before all important decisions are taken by holding referenda such is the case in Switzerland. Is this democracy gone mad or a new wave of 'ultra democracy'?

The party most responsible for the introduction of focus groups into Britain is Labour. When Tony Blair took over as leader of Labour in 1994 af

Another factor that has crept into our lives of late is the referenda. A referendum allows part, or the whole, of a country a vote on a single issue. Referenda are usually only held on major issues, such as Scottish and Welsh devolution, but in the USA and Switzerland many issues are voted on.

As general elections are usually only held once every 5 years, there are many issues which come to a head during that time which the public do not get their views heard. Referenda are a good solution to this because it provides an opportunity for the electorate to have their opinions made known. This can only be good for democracy as the majority's verdict is always taken into account, something that has not happened in any general election since the war, as the winning party always gains around 40-45% of the popular vote.

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Approximate Word count = 1609
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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Use of Focus Groups and Referenda in UK

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