# FILE NAME: 00000919.soc
# TITLE: Should we have national referendums on major issues? [689b92d7a148f5ae89e7ba161b9e8050]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 5
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - We should have national referendums on major issues. The issue of what is considered a major issue is difficult to define and so it would be difficult to decide what should be decided by a referendum. Referendums are a good way of deciding on the future of the country as it is the people who are affected by the decision who are making it. It is also good as people feel like their vote actually counts towards something and so is more likely to vote. However, referendums can also be a bad idea as people can be misinformed about issues and make wrong decisions. The Brexit referendum is a good example of this.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - In general, the public is not well educated on major issues and therefore should not be trusted to make the right decision. However, referendums can be a useful tool to engage the public and make them feel like their vote counts for something. Referendums can also help to settle an issue once and for all and remove the possibility of political parties trying to use the issue to their advantage.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - We believe that there should be national referendums on major issues but not all issues. We feel that referendums are a good idea for the major issues as this can show voters that their vote actually counts towards something compared to a general election. However, we feel that there are a lot of uneducated people on a lot of matters in this country and people who should not have the right to vote at all, especially not on big issues. We also feel that there are a lot of people who vote with their heart and not their head, and it could put this country is a bad place.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - In general, the group was in favour of having national referendums on major issues. The participants felt that this would increase voter turnout and engagement in politics, as people would be voting on issues they care about. The participants felt that the EU referendum had been a good example of this, as it had increased turnout and made people engage in politics who had not done so before. The participants also felt that referendums would be a good way of making sure that the government was listening to the people and that they would be legally binding. The participants did, however, feel that referendums would not be appropriate for all issues, and that some issues were too complex for the general public to understand. The participants also felt that referendums would not be appropriate for issues that were not likely to be supported by the majority of the public, as this would be a waste of time and money.
1: 2,4,3,1
1: 2,1,3,4
1: 4,2,1,3
1: 4,3,2,1
1: 1,4,3,2