Plebiscite
Topic: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 1 "The Rise of Nationalism in Europe"
Meaning
A plebiscite is a direct vote. All the people of a region are asked to accept or reject one proposal. The people decide for themselves; elected representatives do not decide for them. In 19th-century Europe, plebiscites were used to show that people agreed to big political changes, such as joining a new nation-state.
Example
In 1860, after Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand took southern Italy, people in the south voted in plebiscites to join the kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont. Victor Emmanuel II was then proclaimed king of united Italy in 1861. In his 1882 lecture, Ernest Renan used the word as an image: he said a nation's existence is 'a daily plebiscite'.
Don't confuse with
- Suffrage: suffrage is the right to vote in general. A plebiscite is one particular vote on a single question.