Knowledge is Power...

Democracy is generally considered the best possible form of government, because it offers the people a voice in the government, whose decisions ultimately affect their lives. One might argue that referendums offer the ultimate form of Democracy. Referendums allow the people to be directly involved in the decision-making process. Undoubtedly this appeals to many people, especially those who feel left behind and disenfranchised by their elected representatives.

The Brexit showed the possible dangers that surround a referendum of this magnitude. The aftermath of Brexit made ripples in the water surrounding Great Britain that reached not only Europe, but was felt globally as well. As the election day neared, I believed that, while the result would be close, Britain would never leave the European Union. In my opinion, the EU is far from perfect, but it is certainly a contributing factor to the stability that has defined Europe since World War II. On election day, I was amazed by what I deemed as ignorance on the part of Brexit supporters. After the shock of the election results ebbed, the search for answers to the question, How could they?, began.

I spoke with British friends and slowly realized that the most important part of making a choice was missing from the equation—knowledge. To make an informed decision, it is imperative that one have all the necessary information available to them. It appears that in a world where information is so readily available, it would no longer be a hurdle to find and use this information. Evidently this is not true, seeing as Google reported the day after the election that the trending question of the day was, What is the EU? Some people were apparently unaware of the possible consequences that a Brexit could generate. Is it not one of the reasons why representatives are elected, to occupy themselves with the circumstances surrounding certain decisions and decide based on their in-depth knowledge and experience?  Thomas Jefferson, an American founding father, once said “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” (https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/60.html ).  This quote sums up my basic opinion on referendums. I am not generally opposed to referendums, but I believe they should not necessarily be held on a national level.  There are too many aspects and possible consequences to consider. Some questions on a local level can possibly be decided per referendum, although the government must be prepared for all possible outcomes.