PhD Study : Choosing by Referendum: On the wisdom and folly of the crowds

Summary

The last five years have witnessed an extraordinary sequence of referendums across Europe which in turn changed the constitutional and political order of the countries holding them. In 2014 Scotland voted against independence from the United Kingdom. In 2015 Greece rejected the bailout conditions for addressing the country’s debt problem, a decision which was quickly reversed by parliament, and Ireland approved same sex marriages. The United Kingdom voted for “Brexit” in 2016. In 2017 Catalonia voted in favour of independence from Spain, a result not recognised by the Spanish parliament and was followed by revoking of Catalonia’s autonomy. In 2018 Ireland voted for the legalisation of abortion, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia voted to adopt the official name of Republic of North Macedonia.

These are examples of the increasing use of referendums across the globe, a trend in sharp contrast to earlier democratic thinking and practice which saw referendums as blatant attempts to legitimise nationalism, bureaucratic socialism, and authoritarianism. Several modern commentators consider referendums as an expression of direct democracy allowing ordinary citizens to participate into the political process without their preferences being distorted by the interests of political intermediaries and their financial backers.

In this connection, referendums are often thought as an application of the ancient democracy of the Greek city–states. Yet, in view of the conceptual differences of the ancient and modern democracies this is far removed from the truth. Rather than supplanting representative democracy modern referendums supplement it. And, as the outcome of a democratic process can only be as good as the inputs into it, a conundrum arises. Are people’s preferences, directly aggregated through a referendum better or worse inputs to the collective decision process in comparison to filtering them through elected party representatives?

A systematic investigation of this issue opens the following interconnected questions which are the subject-matter of the proposed research

(1) Who to include in the “people” whose preferences are counted, which relates to suffrage rights and voter competence.

(2) The role of political parties in referendums and whether referendums are dominated by elites and special interests or taken over by populist groups

(3) The presence or absence of popular deliberation in the referendum process, and consequently, whether voters focus on the issue of the referendum or they treat the referendum as an opportunity to register their preferences and concern about other issues.

(4) The suitability of majoritarian referendums in divided societies and other options including vetoes, power-sharing arrangements and judicial review

(5) The conduct of referendums including framing the question and campaign finance. (6) The ‘demand’ and ‘supply’ factors that explain the growth of referendums in the last thirty years or so.

The research will be based on political economy methodology including theories of the formation of the state, explanations of the emergence of political parties, mechanisms for aggregation of individual preferences, voting rules, accountability of government, checks and balances, and statistical analysis of referendums. It will apply the above lines of inquiry to a single country, or region like Northern Ireland, or an international sample of countries.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Research proposal of 2000 words detailing aims, objectives, milestones and methodology of the project

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:

• Full Award: (full-time tuition fees + £19,000 (tbc))
• Part Award: (full-time tuition fees + £9,500)
• Fees Only Award: (full-time tuition fees)

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living