<p><strong>Abstract:</strong> There have been 14 referendums in the Faroe Islands about very different issues. In this paper these referendums will be analysed in relation to the use of referendums in the Faroe Islands – from the perspective of the political system as well as from the view of the voter. A comparison will be made with similar referendums in Denmark, Iceland and Australia. An attempt to classify Faroese referendums in accordance with international research will also be done. The conclusion in the article is 1) that historical and cultural conditions, especially the Danish Faroese relations, have influenced several of these referendums, even referendums that are not about these issues, 2) that referendums in the Faroe Islands haven’t always been well prepared by the political authorities, 3) that party politics usually have significant influence and 4) that the majority of the voters usually have used the vote to demonstrate against the more or less party politically biased intentions of the political majority that often have been underlying Faroese referendums. Generally speaking, this article concludes that if referendums are to be a real successful alternative to representative democratic decision-making then they have to be preceded by negotiations where both – all – relevant opposing sides agree on the referendum terms. This is especially very important when it comes to definitive referendums on secession.</p><p><strong>Úrtak:</strong> Tað hava verið 14 fólkaatkvøður um nógv ymisk viðurskifti í Føroyum. Í greinini verður hugt eftir hesum fólkaatkvøðunum við atliti at hvussu fólkaatkvøður hava verið brúktar í Føroyum, bæði tá tað snýr seg um politisku skipanina og veljararnar. Samanborið verður eisini við líknandi fólkaatkvøður í Danmark, Íslandi og Avstralia. Eisini verður roynt at flokka tær føroysku fólkaatkvøðurnar við støði í altjóða gransking. Niðurstøðan í greinini er, 1) at søgulig og mentanarlig viðurskifti, serstakliga viðurskiftini millum Danmark og Føroyar, hava havt týdning fyri fleiri av hesum fólkaatkvøðum, eisini fyri summar, ið ikki snúgva seg um hesi viðurskifti, 2) at fólkaatkvøður í Føroyum ikki altíð hava verið so væl fyriskipaðar av politisku skipanini, 3) at ofta hevur partapolitikkur havt nógv at siga og 4) at meirilutin av veljarunum hevur ofta brúkt sína atkvøðu til at atkvøða í móti teimum meira ella minni partapolitisku ætlanunum, sum hava ligið aftanfyri hesar fólkaatkvøður. Almenna niðurstøðan er, at skulu fólkaatkvøður vera eitt veruligt alternativ til umboðandi demokratiska støðutakan, so mugu tær grundast á frammanundan førdar samráðingar, har báðir – allar – viðkomandi stríðandi partar góðtaka sjálvar treytirnar undir fólkaatkvøðuni. Hetta er serliga av stórum týdningi, tá talan er um avgerandi fólkaatkvøður um fullveldi.</p>
Wpływ paranoi politycznej na dyskurs publiczny w Polsce
