Referendum-level variables
For the following variables, the unit of observation is the individual referendum.
id
A 24-character value that uniquely identifies the referendum and
corresponds to the MongoDB
ObjectId in the RDB.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
id_official
The referendum’s official identifier assigned by the authorities; this is only guaranteed to be unique per respective jurisdiction.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
id_sudd
The referendum’s identifier assigned by sudd.ch; multiple referendum’s might share the same identifier.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
country_code
The two- or four-letter code identifying the country in which the referendum took place; an ISO 3166-3 alpha-4 code for historical countries which ceased to exist, otherwise an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
country_code_long
The three-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code identifying the country in which the referendum took place.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_country_code_long().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
country_code_continual
The current or future ISO 3166-1
alpha-2 code of the country where the referendum took place;
identical to country_code if the country still exists,
otherwise the country_code of the successor country (the
largest one in terms of population if it was succeeded by multiple
countries).
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_country_code_continual().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
country_name
The English name of the country in which the referendum took place.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
country_name_long
The official full English name(s) of the country in which the referendum took place.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_country_name_long().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
subnational_entity_name
The English name of the subnational political entity in which the referendum took place.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
municipality
The municipality in which the referendum took place.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
level == 'local'Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
un_country_code
The UN M49 code of the country in which the referendum took place.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_world_regions().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
un_region_tier_1_code
The area code of the UN tier-1 region in which the referendum took place.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_world_regions().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
un_region_tier_1_name
The English name of the UN tier-1 region in which the referendum took place.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_world_regions().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
un_region_tier_2_code
The area code of the UN tier-2 region in which the referendum took place.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_world_regions().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
un_region_tier_2_name
The English name of the UN tier-2 region in which the referendum took place.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_world_regions().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
un_region_tier_3_code
The area code of the UN tier-3 region in which the referendum took place.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_world_regions().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
un_region_tier_3_name
The English name of the UN tier-3 region in which the referendum took place.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_world_regions().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
un_subregion
The UN subregion in which the referendum took place; corresponds to the English UN region name of the lowest available tier (except for Northern Europe).
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code
and can be generated on demand via add_world_regions().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
level
The political level at which the referendum took place.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"local" |
The referendum took place at the local political level. |
"subnational" |
The referendum took place at the subnational political level. |
"national" |
The referendum took place at the national political level. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ordinal (ascending) level.
date
The date on which the referendum took place.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the interval level.
week
The week number (1–53) in which the referendum was held.
Origin
This variable is derived from date
and can be generated on demand via add_period().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the interval level.
month
The month number (1–12) in which the referendum was held.
Origin
This variable is derived from date
and can be generated on demand via add_period().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the interval level.
quarter
The quarter number (1–4) in which the referendum was held.
Origin
This variable is derived from date
and can be generated on demand via add_period().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the interval level.
year
The year in which the referendum was held.
Origin
This variable is derived from date
and can be generated on demand via add_period().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the interval level.
decade
The decade in which the referendum was held.
Origin
This variable is derived from date
and can be generated on demand via add_period().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the interval level.
century
The century in which the referendum was held.
Origin
This variable is derived from date
and can be generated on demand via add_period().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the interval level.
is_former_country
Whether or not the country where the referendum took place ceased to
exist and thus has an ISO 3166-3 alpha-4
instead of an ISO 3166-1
alpha-2 country_code.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
title_en
The referendum proposal’s English title.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
title_de
The referendum proposal’s German title.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
title_fr
The referendum proposal’s French title.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
question
The proposal question exactly as it was asked in the referendum.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
question_en
An English translation of question if it wasn’t officially asked
in English, otherwise the same as question.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
committee_name
The name of the committee that initiated the referendum proposal.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
result
The result of the referendum.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"yes" |
The referendum proposal was approved. |
"no" |
The referendum proposal was rejected. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
subterritories_yes
The number of administrative
divisions one level below level
that approved the referendum proposal.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
level != 'local'Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
subterritories_no
The number of administrative
divisions one level below level
that rejected the referendum proposal.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
level != 'local'Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
electorate_total
The total number of people entitled to vote in the referendum.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
electorate_abroad
The number of people entitled to vote in the referendum who are
living abroad; by definition a subset of electorate_total.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
votes_yes
The number of votes approving the referendum proposal.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
votes_no
The number of votes rejecting the referendum proposal.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
votes_empty
The number of votes that did not specify any preference on the referendum proposal.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
votes_invalid
The number of votes that were invalid.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
votes_per_subterritory
The number of votes_yes, votes_no, votes_empty and votes_invalid per administrative
division one level below level;
currently only filled for Swiss referendums on the national level.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
level != 'local'Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
turnout
The voter turnout at the referendum.
Origin
This variable is derived from votes_yes,
votes_no,
votes_empty,
votes_invalid
and electorate_total
and can be generated on demand via add_turnout().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
lower_house_yes
The number of parliamentarians that approved the referendum proposal in the corresponding parliamentary voting; in bicameral legislatures, this number includes only members of the lower house, in unicameral legislatures all parliamentarians; currently only filled for Swiss referendums on the national level (National Council).
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
lower_house_no
The number of parliamentarians that rejected the referendum proposal in the corresponding parliamentary voting; in bicameral legislatures, this number includes only members of the lower house, in unicameral legislatures all parliamentarians; currently only filled for Swiss referendums on the national level (National Council).
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
lower_house_abstentions
The number of parliamentarians that abstained from the corresponding parliamentary voting on the referendum proposal; in bicameral legislatures, this number includes only members of the lower house, in unicameral legislatures all parliamentarians; currently only filled for Swiss referendums on the national level (National Council).
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
upper_house_yes
The number of parliamentarians that approved the referendum proposal in the corresponding parliamentary voting; applies only to bicameral legislatures and includes only members of the upper house; currently only filled for Swiss referendums on the national level (Council of States).
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
upper_house_no
The number of parliamentarians that rejected the referendum proposal in the corresponding parliamentary voting; applies only to bicameral legislatures and includes only members of the upper house; currently only filled for Swiss referendums on the national level (Council of States).
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
upper_house_abstentions
The number of parliamentarians that abstained from the corresponding parliamentary voting on the referendum proposal; applies only to bicameral legislatures and includes only members of the upper house; currently only filled for Swiss referendums on the national level (Council of States).
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ratio level.
position_government
The government’s recommendation on how to vote in the referendum.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"yes" |
The government recommends to approve the referendum proposal. |
"no" |
The government recommends to reject the referendum proposal. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
Topics
The political topics to classify referendums are organized on a three-tier hierarchy as follows:
-
state organisation
- national identity
-
political system
- constitution
- procedure for constitutional reform
- legislative procedure
- electoral system
-
institutions
- government, administration
- parliament
- courts
- national bank
-
citizens’ rights
- citizens’ initiatives
- referendum
- voting rights
-
federalism
- territorial questions
- intergovernmental relations
- division of tasks
-
legal system
- international law
- fundamental rights
- citizenship
- private law
- criminal law
- data protection
-
foreign policy
-
position on foreign policy
- neutrality
- independence
- good offices
-
European policy
- EFTA
- EU
- EEA
- other European organisations
-
international organisations
- UN
- other international organisations
- development cooperation
- bilateral treaties
-
foreign trade policy
- export promotion
- customs
- diplomacy
- Swiss abroad
-
position on foreign policy
-
security policy
-
public security
- civil protection
- state security
- police
-
army
- armed forces in general
- military organisation
- arms
- military facilities
- conscientious objection, civilian service
- abolition of the armed forces
- military training
- international deployment
- national economic supply
-
public security
-
economy
-
economic policy
- short-term economic policy
- competition policy
- structural policy
- pricing policy
- consumer protection
-
employment
- employment conditions
- working hours
- industrial relations
- employment policy
-
finance
- monetary policy
- banks, stock exchange, insurance
-
tourism and leisure
- tourism
- hospitality
- lottery and gambling
-
economic policy
-
agriculture
- agricultural policy
- livestock
- crop production
- forestry
- fishing, hunting and pets
-
public finance
-
taxation
- tax policy
- tax system
- direct taxation
- indirect taxation
- financial system
- public expenditure
- budget cuts and remediation measures
-
taxation
-
energy
- energy policy
- nuclear energy
- hydro-electric power
- alternative energy
- oil and gas
-
transport and infrastructure
-
transport policy
- urban transport
- transit traffic
-
road transport
- road construction
- heavy traffic
-
rail transport
- goods traffic
- passenger traffic
- air transport
- shipping
- post
- telecommunications
-
transport policy
-
environment and living space
-
soil
- spatial planning
- land law
-
housing
- tenancy issues
- building of residential housing, property ownership
-
environment
- environmental policy
- noise protection
- air quality control
- water pollution control
- soil protection
- waste
- protection of nature and cultural heritage
- animal protection
-
soil
-
social policy
-
health
- health policy
- medical research and technology
- medicines
- addictive substances
- reproductive medicine
-
social security
- pension insurance
- disability insurance
- occupational benefits provision
- health and accident insurance
- maternity insurance
- unemployment insurance
- compensation for loss of earnings for persons on military service or civil protection duty
- welfare
-
social groups
- immigration policy
- refugees
- status of women
- family policy
- children and young people
- senior citizens
- persons with disabilities
- homosexuals
-
health
-
education and research
- education policy
- schools
- universities
-
research
- genetic engineering
- animal testing
- professional and vocational education
-
culture, religion and media
- cultural policy
- language policy
- religion, churches
- sport
-
media and communication
- media policy
- press
- radio, television and electronic media
- freedom of the media
topics_tier_1 are colored in azure, topics_tier_2 in violet and topics_tier_3 in rose.
The hierarchical relations between the three topic variables
topics_tier_1, topics_tier_2 and
topics_tier_3 can be reconstructed at any time using hierarchize_topics().
This function can also be used to simply determine the parent topic(s)
of any topic.
topics_tier_1
A maximum of 3 predefined top-tier political topics that best classify the referendum proposal.
Possible values
| Value |
|---|
"state organisation" |
"foreign policy" |
"security policy" |
"economy" |
"agriculture" |
"public finance" |
"energy" |
"transport and infrastructure" |
"environment and living space" |
"social policy" |
"education and research" |
"culture, religion and media" |
This is a multi-value variable1 and thus of type list. When
unnested via unnest_var(),
its name becomes {variable_name_unnested}.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
topics_tier_2
A maximum of 3 predefined second-tier political topics that best classify the referendum proposal; the presence of a second-tier topic always implies presence of its parent top-tier topic.
Possible values
| Value |
|---|
"national identity" |
"political system" |
"institutions" |
"citizens' rights" |
"federalism" |
"legal system" |
"position on foreign policy" |
"European policy" |
"international organisations" |
"development cooperation" |
"bilateral treaties" |
"foreign trade policy" |
"diplomacy" |
"Swiss abroad" |
"public security" |
"army" |
"national economic supply" |
"economic policy" |
"employment" |
"finance" |
"tourism and leisure" |
"agricultural policy" |
"livestock" |
"crop production" |
"forestry" |
"fishing, hunting and pets" |
"taxation" |
"financial system" |
"public expenditure" |
"budget cuts and remediation measures" |
"energy policy" |
"nuclear energy" |
"hydro-electric power" |
"alternative energy" |
"oil and gas" |
"transport policy" |
"road transport" |
"rail transport" |
"air transport" |
"shipping" |
"post" |
"telecommunications" |
"soil" |
"housing" |
"environment" |
"health" |
"social security" |
"social groups" |
"education policy" |
"schools" |
"universities" |
"research" |
"professional and vocational education" |
"cultural policy" |
"language policy" |
"religion, churches" |
"sport" |
"media and communication" |
This is a multi-value variable2 and thus of type list. When
unnested via unnest_var(),
its name becomes {variable_name_unnested}.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
purrr::map2_lgl(.x = topics_tier_1, .y = topics_tier_2, .f = \(x, y) all(rdb::infer_topics(topics = y, tier = 1L) %in% x))Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
topics_tier_3
A maximum of 3 predefined third-tier political topics that best classify the referendum proposal; the presence of a third-tier topic always implies presence of its parent second-tier topic and grandparent top-tier topic.
Possible values
| Value |
|---|
"constitution" |
"procedure for constitutional reform" |
"legislative procedure" |
"electoral system" |
"government, administration" |
"parliament" |
"courts" |
"national bank" |
"citizens' initiatives" |
"referendum" |
"voting rights" |
"territorial questions" |
"intergovernmental relations" |
"division of tasks" |
"international law" |
"fundamental rights" |
"citizenship" |
"private law" |
"criminal law" |
"data protection" |
"neutrality" |
"independence" |
"good offices" |
"EFTA" |
"EU" |
"EEA" |
"other European organisations" |
"UN" |
"other international organisations" |
"export promotion" |
"customs" |
"civil protection" |
"state security" |
"police" |
"armed forces in general" |
"military organisation" |
"arms" |
"military facilities" |
"conscientious objection, civilian service" |
"abolition of the armed forces" |
"military training" |
"international deployment" |
"short-term economic policy" |
"competition policy" |
"structural policy" |
"pricing policy" |
"consumer protection" |
"employment conditions" |
"working hours" |
"industrial relations" |
"employment policy" |
"monetary policy" |
"banks, stock exchange, insurance" |
"tourism" |
"hospitality" |
"lottery and gambling" |
"tax policy" |
"tax system" |
"direct taxation" |
"indirect taxation" |
"urban transport" |
"transit traffic" |
"road construction" |
"heavy traffic" |
"goods traffic" |
"passenger traffic" |
"spatial planning" |
"land law" |
"tenancy issues" |
"building of residential housing, property ownership" |
"environmental policy" |
"noise protection" |
"air quality control" |
"water pollution control" |
"soil protection" |
"waste" |
"protection of nature and cultural heritage" |
"animal protection" |
"health policy" |
"medical research and technology" |
"medicines" |
"addictive substances" |
"reproductive medicine" |
"pension insurance" |
"disability insurance" |
"occupational benefits provision" |
"health and accident insurance" |
"maternity insurance" |
"unemployment insurance" |
"compensation for loss of earnings for persons on military service or civil protection duty" |
"welfare" |
"immigration policy" |
"refugees" |
"status of women" |
"family policy" |
"children and young people" |
"senior citizens" |
"persons with disabilities" |
"homosexuals" |
"genetic engineering" |
"animal testing" |
"media policy" |
"press" |
"radio, television and electronic media" |
"freedom of the media" |
This is a multi-value variable3 and thus of type list. When
unnested via unnest_var(),
its name becomes {variable_name_unnested}.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
purrr::map2_lgl(.x = topics_tier_2, .y = topics_tier_3, .f = \(x, y) all(rdb::infer_topics(topics = y, tier = 2L) %in% x)) & purrr::map2_lgl(.x = topics_tier_1, .y = topics_tier_3, .f = \(x, y) all(rdb::infer_topics(topics = y, tier = 1L) %in% x))Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
remarks
A free text field with additional information about the referendum.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
files
Metadata about files attached to the referendum, including
-
date_time_attached: the date and time on which the file was attached to the referendum’s data entry -
is_deleted: whether or not the file has been deleted since it was attached -
file_name: the filename as it appears when the file is downloaded -
file_size: the file’s size in bytes -
s3_object_key: the key uniquely identifying the file in the RDB Amazon S3 bucket; the file can be downloaded by feeding this key tordb::download_file_attachment().
url_sudd
The URL of the corresponding entry on sudd.ch.
Origin
This variable is derived from id_sudd
and can be generated on demand via add_urls().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
url_swissvotes
The URL of the corresponding entry on swissvotes.ch.
Origin
This variable is derived from id_official
and can be generated on demand via add_urls().
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
sources
Information about the source(s) of the referendum data like additional URLs or other references.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
is_draft
Whether or not the entry is marked as a draft in the database.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
TRUE |
The entry is marked as a draft. |
FALSE |
The entry is not marked as a draft. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
date_time_created
The date and time on which the referendum’s data entry was created.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the interval level.
date_time_last_edited
The date and time on which the referendum’s data entry was last modified.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the interval level.
type
The institutional type of direct democracy which the referendum is an instance of.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"mandatory referendum" |
A referendum that was automatically triggered by certain legal conditions, usually found in the constitution. |
"optional referendum" |
A referendum against a law passed by the parliament that came about because the quorum of citizen opposition was met (usually a certain number of signatures) within a specified period after the resolution was passed. |
"counter proposal" |
A counter proposal by the government or parliament to another referendum. |
"citizens' initiative" |
A referendum launched by citizens, usually via a signature collection. |
"governmental referendum" |
A referendum launched by the government. |
"citizens' assembly" |
A citizens’ assembly, usually in person where people vote by raising their hands. |
"recall" |
A recall of all members of a political institution/body. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
Institution-level variables
For the following variables, the unit of
observation is the referendum’s institutional instrument, a
combination of the referendum’s type
and the jurisdiction it took place.
The set of variables that constitute the geographical
component of the jurisdiction is dependent on the referendum’s level:
level |
Geographical jurisdiction is given by |
|---|---|
national |
country_code |
subnational |
country_code +
subnational_entity_name
|
local |
country_code +
subnational_entity_name
+ municipality
|
The actual jurisdiction is also dependent on a temporal
component since the legal setting in a geographical jurisdiction can
vary over time. Thus, the actual jurisdicion is dependent on the
geographical jurisdiction plus the date
a referendum took place (more specifically the date range in
between a specific legal setting is in force).
inst_legal_basis_type
The type of the legal basis of the referendum type.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"non-official" |
The referendum type
has no legal basis. |
"ad-hoc" |
The referendum type
has a legal basis which was specifically created for it. |
"official" |
The referendum type
has a legal basis that wasn’t specifically created for it. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ordinal (ascending) level.
inst_has_urgent_legal_basis
Whether or not the legal basis of the referendum type was adopted urgently, i.e. in an
abridged procedure.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
TRUE |
The legal basis of the referendum type was adopted in an abridged procedure
(urgent). |
FALSE |
The legal basis of the referendum type was adopted in a normal
procedure. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
inst_is_binding
Whether the result of the referendum type has binding force or the decision of
the voters may be disregarded.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
TRUE |
The result of the referendum type is binding for the legislator. |
FALSE |
The result of the referendum type is only consultative, i.e. the
legislator does not have to follow the decision of the voters. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
inst_is_counter_proposal
Whether or not the referendum type
is a counterproposal to a citizen’s (or other) initiative.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
TRUE |
The referendum type is
a counterproposal to a citizen’s (or other) initiative. |
FALSE |
The referendum type is
not a counterproposal to a citizen’s (or other) initiative. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
inst_is_assembly
Whether or not the referendum type
is held as an assembly (all voters at the same time and place; physical
presence at the assembly is required to be able to vote; usually voting
means raising one’s hand).
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
TRUE |
The referendum type is
a counterproposal to a citizen’s (or other) initiative. |
FALSE |
The referendum type is
not a counterproposal to a citizen’s (or other) initiative. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
inst_trigger_type
The way the referendum type is
triggered; completely dependent on inst_trigger_actor.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"automatic" |
The referendum type is
triggered by a constitutional/legal requirement. |
"top down" |
The referendum type is
triggered by an institution of the political elite like the
monarch/president/government, the parliament, a territorial unit, the UN
or another institution. |
"bottom up" |
The referendum type is
triggered by citizen demand (e.g. a signature collection). |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_trigger_actor
The actor that triggers the referendum type.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"citizens" |
The referendum type is
triggered by a direct citizen demand (usually a signature
collection). |
"constitution" |
The referendum type is
triggered by a constitutional requirement. |
"law" |
The referendum type is
triggered by a legal requirement. |
"parliament" |
The referendum type is
triggered by the parliament. |
"government" |
The referendum type is
triggered by the government or prime minister. |
"president" |
The referendum type is
triggered by the president. |
"monarch" |
The referendum type is
triggered by the monarch. |
"territorial unit" |
The referendum type is
triggered by a province or municipality. |
"UN" |
The referendum type is
triggered by the United Nations (UN) or one of its organs. |
"other institution" |
The referendum type is
triggered by another institution such as the church or a state
agency. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_trigger_actor_level
The political level of inst_trigger_actor in
comparison to level.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"lower" |
A lower political level triggers a referendum on one of the higher political levels. |
"equal" |
The trigger actor and the referendum are on the same political level. |
"higher" |
A higher political level triggers a referendum on one of the lower political levels. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the ordinal (ascending) level.
inst_trigger_threshold
The threshold of support among inst_trigger_actor that has
to be reached in order to trigger the referendum type.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_trigger_time_limit
The time limit in which inst_trigger_threshold
(usually a minimum number of signatures) has to be reached in order to
trigger the referendum type.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_object_type
The type of the object the referendum type refers to.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"question" |
A question which can be answered with yes or no (used as fallback option if nothing else applies). |
"legal text (general proposal)" |
A general proposal of a legal text, meaning the proposal is not formulated in a definite way, and therefore, if approved, needs to be implemented and concretized in a further legislative process. |
"legal text (formulated proposal)" |
A precisely formulated legal text which, if approved, will directly enter into force. |
"institution" |
A recall of all members of a particular institution/body. |
"person" |
An appointment of a single person. |
"principle" |
A question about what direction to take on a particular issue/topic, but without a proposed legal text; e.g., “Should there be a total revision of our constitution?”. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_object_author
The actor that defines the text/content of inst_object_type.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"citizens" |
Citizens (usually a small group initiating a citizen demand). |
"parliament" |
The parliament. |
"government" |
The government or prime minister. |
"president" |
The president. |
"monarch" |
The monarch. |
"territorial unit" |
A province or municipality. |
"UN" |
The United Nations (UN) or one of its organs. |
"other institution" |
Another institution such as the church or a state agency. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_object_legal_level
The legal level of inst_object_type.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"ordinance" |
An ordinance, i.e. a legal norm based on a law or the constitution. |
"treaty" |
A domestic treaty, e.g. an agreement between the constituent states of a republic. |
"law" |
A law, i.e. a legal norm based on the constitution and created by the legislative. |
"constitution" |
The constitution, i.e. the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a state and commonly determine how that state is to be governed. |
"international treaty" |
An international treaty, i.e. a bilateral or multilateral agreement or an accession to and international organization. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_object_revision_extent
The extent of revision of inst_object_type which can be
achieved within one referendum.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"partial" |
Only parts of the concerned legal text can be revised at the same time. |
"total" |
Only the entirety of the legal text can be changed at the same time. |
"both" |
Both, parts and the entirety of the legal text, can be changed at the same time. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_object_revision_modes
The mode(s) of revision that inst_object_type allows.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"introduce" |
With this instrument, it is possible to introduce an entirely new text/concept. |
"revise" |
With this instrument, it is possible to change some parts of the legal text/… |
"abrogate" |
With this instrument, it is possible to strike parts of the legal text / to recall a person/institution. |
This is a multi-value variable4 and thus of type list. When
unnested via unnest_var(),
its name becomes {variable_name_unnested}.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_is_divisible
Whether or not inst_object_type (the proposed
legal text) may be split up so voters can decide upon these parts
separately.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
TRUE |
The proposed legal text may be split up. |
FALSE |
The proposed legal text may not be split up. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
inst_is_variable
Whether or not the proposed legal text may be presented in two or more (alternative) variants for voters to choose amongst.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
TRUE |
The proposed legal text may be presented in variants. |
FALSE |
The proposed legal text may not be presented in variants. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
inst_topics_only
The legal topic(s) to which the referendum type is limited.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"infrastructural acts" |
The referendum type is
limited to TODO. |
"territorial questions" |
The referendum type is
limited to TODO. |
"competence shifts" |
The referendum type is
limited to TODO. |
"financial acts" |
The referendum type is
limited to TODO. |
"financial acts (expenses)" |
The referendum type is
limited to TODO. |
"financial acts (taxes)" |
The referendum type is
limited to TODO. |
"financial acts (obligations)" |
The referendum type is
limited to TODO. |
"treaties" |
The referendum type is
limited to TODO (automatically limited to if
inst_object_legal_level == "law"). |
"total revisions of the constitution" |
The referendum type is
limited to TODO. |
This is a multi-value variable5 and thus of type list. When
unnested via unnest_var(),
its name becomes {variable_name_unnested}.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_topics_excluded
The legal topic(s) that are excluded from the referendum type.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"jus cogens" |
TODO is exluded from the referendum type. |
"international treaties" |
TODO is exluded from the referendum type. |
"pardons" |
TODO is exluded from the referendum type. |
"personnel appointments" |
TODO is exluded from the referendum type. |
"budgets" |
TODO is exluded from the referendum type. |
"financial matters" |
TODO is exluded from the referendum type. |
"everything within parliamentary competence" |
TODO is exluded from the referendum type. |
This is a multi-value variable6 and thus of type list. When
unnested via unnest_var(),
its name becomes {variable_name_unnested}.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_quorum_turnout
The minimum percentage of the electorate_total that have to
participate in the referendum type in
order for it to be passed.
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_quorum_approval
The minimum number of voters that have to approve the referendum type in order for it to be passed.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"simple majority" |
> 50 % of the voters have to approve the referendum proposal. |
"qualified majority" |
A percentage higher than > 50 % of the voters has to approve the referendum proposal. |
"double majority" |
Two simultaneous quorums of > 50 % or higher of the voters apply. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_has_precondition
Whether or not an institutional actor must take a preconditional
decision in order for the referendum type to be held.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
TRUE |
An institutional actor must take a preconditional
decision in order for the referendum type to be held. |
FALSE |
No institutional actor must take a preconditional
decision in order for the referendum type to be held. |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.
inst_precondition_actor
The actor that must take a preconditional decision in order for the
referendum type to be held.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"parliament" |
The parliament. |
"government" |
The government or prime minister. |
"president" |
The president. |
"UN" |
The United Nations (UN) or one of its organs. |
"parliament and government" |
The parliament and the government or prime minister. |
"parliament and president" |
The parliament and the president. |
"central government and SPLM" |
The central government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement. |
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
isTRUE(inst_has_precondition)Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal level.
inst_precondition_decision
The decision that inst_precondition_actor
has taken.
Possible values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
"yes" |
Affirmative answer (e.g. “Yes, we will hold a vote that has been requested by citizens.”). |
"no" |
Negative answer (e.g. “No, we will not implement the demands of a citizens’ initiative voluntarily.”). |
Level of measurement
This variable’s scale of measure is the nominal (binary) level.