referendum vs. ballot measure

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

When I was about to translate a Wahl-O-Mat question into English, I stumbled upon a word that has no accurate equivalent in the English language.

Are ballot measures and referenda synonyms (or quasi-synonyms), or are they different things with regard to political science?

[Anzeigenhauptmeister]

1. Yes (Unimportant) - I think this is saying to have EU referendums, which is fine with me.

I didn't actually know what was the apt translation for Bürgerentscheid.

I looked it up, the translated German wikipedia page said this:

"A referendum (Bürgerentscheid) is an instrument of direct democracy in Germany at the local level "

But isn't a referendum always an approval (or disapproval) of a bill that has already been passed by the parliament?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

As generic terms "referendum" , "plebiscite" , and "ballot measure" all mean the same thing in English - a vote held to ascertain the view of the voters on an issue. Generically, it could be advisory, enact a law, or even amend a constitution. That said, it's not uncommon for a jurisdiction to use a specific term for a vote depending upon how it came to be referred to the voters and how binding it will be. However, such a definition is specific to that jurisdiction.