Print onto card or thick paper. Cut along each row, then either cut each card in two (Front / Back) or fold along the dashed line so the answer is hidden behind the question.
Start every card in Box 1. Test yourself: answer correctly and move the card up a box; answer wrongly and move it back to Box 1.
Review Box 1 daily, Box 2 every 3–4 days, Box 3 weekly (a standard 3-box Leitner system – add more boxes if you prefer longer gaps).
Cards are grouped by topic (A: key terms, B: UK referendums, C: arguments for, D: arguments against, E: international comparisons, F: key legal cases) so you can build up the box gradually, one section at a time.
Section A – Key terms and concepts
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FRONT – Question
BACK – Answer
A1
What is a referendum?
A direct vote in which the electorate gives a Yes/No answer on a single issue, rather than electing a representative to decide.
A2
Is a UK referendum legally binding on Parliament?
No. Because of parliamentary sovereignty, UK referendums are advisory only – though in practice every result has been acted upon.
A3
Pre-legislative vs post-legislative referendum – what’s the difference?
Pre-legislative: held before the detailed law is drafted (e.g. 2016 EU referendum). Post-legislative: held after the law is already passed, so the vote ratifies it (e.g. 2011 AV referendum).
A4
Switzerland: what is a mandatory referendum?
A vote that must be held on any change to the constitution, requiring a ‘double majority’ of the public vote and a majority of cantons.
A5
Switzerland: what is a popular initiative?
100,000 citizens’ signatures within 18 months can force a public vote on a proposed constitutional amendment.
A6
Switzerland: what is an optional (facultative) referendum?
50,000 citizens’ signatures within 100 days can force a public vote on a law parliament has already passed.
A7
Can a devolved parliament (e.g. Holyrood) legally call a referendum on a reserved matter like independence?
No – only the UK Parliament can authorise this, confirmed by the 2022 Supreme Court ruling on IndyRef2.
Section B – Key UK referendums
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FRONT – Question
BACK – Answer
B1
1975 referendum: what was it, and the result?
UK membership of the EEC – 67.2% Yes on a 64.5% turnout.
B2
1979 referendum: what was it, and the result?
Devolution for Scotland & Wales – Scotland voted 52% Yes but failed a 40%-of-electorate threshold rule; Wales voted No.
B3
1998 referendum: what was it, and the result?
The Good Friday Agreement (Northern Ireland) – 71.1% Yes on an 81% turnout.
B4
2011 referendum: what was it, and the result?
Adopting the Alternative Vote (AV) – 67.9% No on a low 42.2% turnout.
B5
2014 referendum: what was it, and the result?
Scottish independence – 55.3% No on a very high 84.6% turnout.
B6
2016 referendum: what was it, and the result?
UK membership of the EU (‘Brexit’) – 51.9% Leave on a 72.2% turnout.
Section C – Arguments FOR referendums
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FRONT – Question
BACK – Answer
C1
Argument FOR: referendums enhance democracy – give the reasoning and an example.
They let the public decide directly on issues that cut across party lines – e.g. Brexit divided both Labour and the Conservatives internally.
C2
Argument FOR: referendums provide legitimacy – give the reasoning and an example.
A referendum result carries strong moral authority and entrenches change – e.g. the 1998 Good Friday Agreement referendum legitimised the NI peace settlement.
C3
Argument FOR: referendums increase participation – give the reasoning and an example.
Campaigns can boost turnout and political engagement – e.g. the 2014 Scottish independence referendum had 84.6% turnout, the highest since 1950.
C4
Argument FOR: referendums check government power – give the reasoning and an example.
They stop a government pushing through major change without consent – e.g. the 1997 devolution referendums gave Scotland/Wales a direct mandate for their own institutions.
Section D – Arguments AGAINST referendums
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FRONT – Question
BACK – Answer
D1
Argument AGAINST: voters may lack information – give the reasoning and an example.
Complex issues are reduced to a Yes/No choice – critics say the 2016 EU referendum oversimplified trade/legal questions, and ‘Leave’ wasn’t fully defined.
D2
Argument AGAINST: low turnout undermines legitimacy – give the reasoning and an example.
Referendum turnout can be very low – only 42.2% voted in the 2011 AV referendum, weakening claims the result reflected public opinion.
D3
Argument AGAINST: the rules of the vote can decide the outcome – give the reasoning and an example.
Government-set thresholds can override the popular vote – in 1979 Scotland voted 52% Yes but failed the 40%-of-electorate threshold, so devolution didn’t proceed.
D4
Argument AGAINST: the franchise can vary between referendums – give the reasoning and an example.
Who can vote changes each time – 16/17-year-olds and EU nationals could vote in the 2014 Scottish referendum but not the 2016 EU referendum.
D5
Argument AGAINST: referendums can be divisive – give the reasoning and an example.
A close binary result can deepen social divisions – the 2016 Brexit vote (52%-48%) is widely seen as having entrenched Leave/Remain divides for years.
D6
Argument AGAINST: campaigns can be manipulated by media and money – give the reasoning and an example.
Well-funded campaigns can dominate debate with misleading claims – both Vote Leave and Britain Stronger In Europe were criticised in 2016 (e.g. the Vote Leave bus claim).
D7
Argument AGAINST: referendums undermine representative democracy – give the reasoning and an example.
They bypass MPs’ role of weighing evidence – Cameron called the 2016 EU referendum partly to manage Conservative Party divisions and the UKIP threat.
Section E – International comparisons
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FRONT – Question
BACK – Answer
E1
How does Switzerland use direct democracy, overall?
Citizens vote up to 4 times a year on ~15 issues via mandatory referendums, optional referendums and popular initiatives – far more than the UK.
E2
How does Ireland’s referendum system differ from the UK’s?
Any change to the Irish constitution legally requires a referendum – unlike the UK, where this is only political convention (e.g. 2015 same-sex marriage, 2018 abortion repeal).
E3
How does the USA use direct democracy?
There is no national referendum; about half of US states allow citizen initiatives/referendums, e.g. California since 1911 (Prop 13, Prop 8).
E4
What did California’s Proposition 8 (2008) show about initiatives?
Initiatives can threaten minority rights – Prop 8 banned same-sex marriage by public vote, before being overturned by the courts.
E5
Overall, how does the UK’s referendum model compare internationally?
The UK model is rare, government-initiated (top-down) and advisory; Switzerland/US states are more citizen-led (bottom-up); Ireland requires referendums by law for constitutional change.
Section F – Key legal cases
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FRONT – Question
BACK – Answer
F1
What did Miller v Secretary of State for Exiting the EU (2017) establish?
The Supreme Court confirmed the 2016 referendum result had no direct legal effect; an Act of Parliament was needed to trigger Article 50.
F2
What did the 2022 Supreme Court ruling on IndyRef2 establish?
The Scottish Parliament cannot legislate for an independence referendum without Westminster’s consent, as the Union is a reserved matter.
