Should political problems be solved by a referendum?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create a reasoned argument about whether political problems should be solved by a referendum.
Key learning points
- Political problems affect how a country is run and can create conflict or unfairness in society.
- Political problems can lead to low voter turnout and unfair representation.
- Australia uses referendums to change its constitution through a national vote.
- Electoral reform can be used to address political problems.
Keywords
Referendum - a general vote by the electorate on a single political issue which has been referred to them for a direct decision; it is a form of direct democracy
Proportional Representation - an electoral system where political parties get a number of seats in Parliament that matches the percentage of votes they receive in an election
Common misconception
Proportional Representation is always a better and fairer voting system.
Proportional Representation can make elections fairer by matching seats to votes more closely. It often leads to coalition governments, which can be unstable or slow to make decisions.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to explore both sides of the argument by using real world examples to show the pros and cons of referendums and voting systems.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a referendum?
Q2.What is the difference between a right and an Act?
Q3.In the UK, the Government often involves the public in moral decisions through and public consultations.
Q4.Which country used a referendum to decide on animal testing laws in 2022?
Q5.Referendums can be useful because they reflect changes in over time but can also be expensive and take a long time.
Q6.Which of the following is not a way the UK public can influence moral decisions?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is this describing: 'A general vote by the electorate on a single political issue which has been referred to them for a direct decision.'?
Q2.In Australia, a can be used to change the constitution.
Q3.Put these events in New Zealand’s electoral reform timeline in the correct order, earliest event first.
Q4.Which of these can be a disadvantage of Proportional Representation?
Q5.Political problems like unfair voting systems can lead to low and lack of trust.
Q6.Which of these is the best reason to question whether a referendum should be used to solve a political problem?
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Should political problems be solved by a referendum?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Should political problems be solved by a referendum?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the How can politicians involve citizens in direct decision making? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.