Referendum is a device for direct democracy in which voters make decisions on specific issues. These issues are either presented in a ballot paper or otherwise communicated to the citizens by a government agency, legislature, or citizen initiative. Referenda are most widespread in Switzerland, where they are often called “plebiscitary devices,” but also exist in the constitutions of many other countries. In the United States, referendum and initiative are generally used at the local level, on issues such as zoning ordinances or tax measures.
A key feature of a referendum is its scope: the circumstances in which a referendum may be held are specified by the constitution or other laws. This largely determines what type of issue is the subject of a vote. The issue in a referendum is usually one with substantial political or constitutional significance. Most often, these are questions related to European integration or other major changes in political governance. Whether a referendum is combined with an ordinary general election or held separately is also important. Combining polls increases the risk that discussion of the particular issue can get caught up in the politics of an election campaign. However, this does not seem to have been a significant problem in the two Quebec referendums on European integration held in recent years.
The issues in a referendum frequently present voters with new or unfamiliar choices, and the campaign may include a great deal of misinformation. This may result in a rejection of a proposal by a risk-averse electorate that does not have sufficient information about the implications of a change, even when those implications are positive. Survey data suggest that this dynamic is particularly likely when a referendum appears on the ballot alongside an election.
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