Editing Referendum (section)

=== Classification ===
The term "referendum" covers a variety of different meanings, and the terminology is different depending on the use. A referendum can be binding or advisory.<ref>{{cite book |pages=2–3 |title=The Dynamics of Referendum Campaigns: An International Perspective|chapter=Context, Elites, Media and Public Opinion in Referendums: When Campaigns Really Matter|last= de Vreese |first=Claes H. |isbn=9780230591189 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wHuGDAAAQBAJ |date= 2007 |publisher= Palgrave Macmillan}}
</ref> In some countries, different names are used for these two types of referendum. Referendums can be further classified by who initiates them.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Serdült|first1=Uwe|last2=Welp|first2=Yanina|date=2012|title=Direct Democracy Upside Down|url=http://www.tfd.org.tw/export/sites/tfd/files/publication/journal/dj0801/004.pdf|journal=Taiwan Journal of Democracy|volume=8|issue=1|pages=69–92|doi=10.5167/uzh-98412|access-date=2015-03-24|archive-date=2015-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402104503/http://www.tfd.org.tw/export/sites/tfd/files/publication/journal/dj0801/004.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

David Altman proposes four dimensions that referendums can be classified by:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Direct Democracy Worldwide|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288427223|access-date=2021-08-29|website=ResearchGate|language=en}}</ref>

* [[Mandatory referendum|Mandatory]] (legally required) vs [[Optional referendum|Optional]] (ad hoc)
* Binding vs consultative
* [[Popular initiative|Citizen initiated]] (bottom-up) vs [[Authorities referendum|Authorities initiated]] (top-down)
* Proactive (proposing a change) vs reactive (preventing a change)