A referendum is a direct vote in which the entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular issue or policy. It allows citizens to directly participate in decision-making by expressing their opinion on a specific question.
Imagine you and your friends are trying to decide where to go for dinner. Instead of one person making the decision, everyone gets a vote and the option with the most votes wins. That's like a referendum, where everyone gets to have a say in an important decision.
Initiative: An initiative is when citizens propose new laws or changes to existing laws through a petition process. It gives people the power to shape legislation directly.
Plebiscite: A plebiscite is similar to a referendum but usually refers to decisions made by an authoritarian government rather than by democratic means.
Direct Democracy: Direct democracy is a system of government where citizens have the power to make decisions directly, without representatives. Referendums are often used as part of direct democracy.
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.