Year 10 - Citizenship
Should environmental issues be decided by referendum?
How can politicians involve citizens in direct decision making?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Through a series of case studies from across the globe pupils explore different methods of direct democracy and consider how UK citizens can play a part in shaping national policy.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to create a reasoned argument whether environmental decisions should be decided by a referendum.
Key Notes
- Referendums allow citizens to directly vote on important environmental policies.
- The Irish Citizens' Assembly allowed citizens to discuss and advise on biodiversity issues.
- Referendums for environmental issues can be costly and time-consuming.
- Many environmental topics are complex and may require expert knowledge that the general public might not have.
- In the UK, elected representatives make environmental laws and follow global agreements like the Paris Agreement.
Vocabulary To Learn
- 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
- citizens' assembly: a group of people who are brought together to learn about, discuss and make recommendations on a specific issue, such as climate change
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- The UK does not have to follow international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement because they are not UK laws.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Referendums allow citizens to directly vote on important environmental policies. The Irish Citizens' Assembly allowed citizens to discuss and advise on biodiversity issues.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? '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.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: The UK does not have to follow international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement because they are not UK laws. Correction: While international agreements like the Paris Agreement are not UK laws, the UK chooses to follow them and often updates its national laws, like setting a net-zero target, to meet the promises made globally.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Can citizens play a bigger role in select committees? Study Guide
- Should moral decisions be decided by referendum? Study Guide
- Should political problems be solved by a referendum? Study Guide
- Should the UK involve citizens more directly in democracy? Study Guide
- What is direct democracy? Study Guide
- What roles can citizens play in policy shaping? Study Guide
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