ABSTRACT
In this chapter I review the democratic credentials of referendums. I explain the democratic problems, which have typically been associated with direct democracy within political theory, but also consider how these might be overcome by way of good referendum practice. Throughout, the referendum on Scottish independence in 2014 is used as a case study with which to assess good practice in referendum democracy. Thus, I will not be analysing the subsequent referendums in the UK (most notably the 2016 Brexit vote). I do not speculate on the possibility of another Scottish referendum, which is being debated vigorously at the time of writing (April 2017).
