A measure that a citizen can place on the ballot to become law if a majority votes in favor is known as what?

• A. Referendum
• B. Ballot Measure
• C. Initiative
• D. Plebiscite

Answer: (C)

Direct democracy relies on tools that let citizens shape laws themselves. An initiative is the process that lets a citizen draft a proposed law or constitutional change and put it on the ballot; if a majority votes in favor, it becomes law (subject to constitutional limits). This specifically describes citizen-initiated measures. A referendum, by contrast, is when the legislature (or government) puts a law or constitutional amendment on the ballot for voters to approve or reject, rather than a citizen proposing it. A ballot measure is a broad term for any measure on the ballot, but it doesn’t specify who initiated it. A plebiscite is typically an advisory vote used to gauge public opinion rather than to enact law. So the measure described—placed on the ballot by a citizen and becoming law if majority support—fits the initiative best.