Brexit referendum as an example of polarization and populism

The last section of the course was intended to cover the increase in polarization and populism in the politics of many advanced democracies. The Brexit referendum was to be the concrete example of this phenomenon.

The vast majority of the commentary on the Brexit referendum was highly critical of the “Yes” side. The “Yes” campaign fundamentally misrepresented the United Kingdom’s relationship with the EU and the consequences of leaving the EU to the United Kingdom. The narrow 52-48 victory, moreover, was too slim to legitimize such a drastic action, and did not accurately reflect variation in public opinion. Younger voters and Scottish voters, for example, were strongly in favour of remaining in the EU. Some demanded a second referendum.

Yet just a few years earlier, Scotland had held a referendum on seceding from the United Kingdom and declaring independence. English critics noted that the Scottish separatists were pedaling economic fantasies to voters—but few voices criticized the inherent legitimacy of using a referendum to decide Scotland’s fate.

This contrast in the manner in which the two referendums were viewed leads to your essay question:

We have considered two standards by which to evaluate elections: accountability and representation. For example, we read articles that suggested that accountability is higher when the electoral system reduced party system fragmentation and legislative rules magnify clarity of responsibility. Can we use these same standards to evaluate referendums? If so, how can we tell if a referendum has enhanced accountability and/or representation. If not, what standards should we use to evaluate referendums?

I encourage you to be creative with how you approach this question. You can craft your answer around a comparison of the two referendums discussed above, or you can provide a more theoretical answer about underlying principles without using concrete examples. You are free to consider additional examples (e.g., the Quebec referendums or the abortive Catalonian referendum). Regardless, I would suggest briefly reviewing Ch. 11 (on collective decision-making) and the articles we discussed in class on accountability and representation before starting your answer.

You are free to find and use outside sources, too. Here’s are some cites/ links to pieces to get you thinking. Note: 1) I found all these pieces were available online, but you can also find #2-4 via the library; 2) focus on what these pieces say about referendums generally, and don’t get caught up in the details of British politics; 3) there is also the Brexit article that is already on the syllabus.

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/06/brexit-vote-referendum-democracy/488654/ (Links to an external site.)

Bellamy, R., 2019. Was the Brexit referendum legitimate, and would a second one be so?. European political science, 18(1), pp.126-133.

Kröger, S., 2019. The Democratic Legitimacy of the 2016 British Referendum on EU Membership. Journal of Contemporary European Research, 15(3), pp.284-298.

Tierney, S., 2015. Reclaiming politics: Popular democracy in Britain after the Scottish referendum. The Political Quarterly, 86(2), pp.226-233.

Keep your essays concise! 1,000 words maximum (3 pages, single-spaced). A concise essay that presents its argument straightforwardly will be well-regarded.