data_codebook: RDB Codebook
In zdaarau/c2d: Download Data from the Referendum Database (RDB), Which Covers Direct Democratic Votes Worldwide
data_codebook R Documentation
RDB Codebook
Description
A tibble containing the complete metadata of all rfrnds() variables. The codebook below is also available online.
Usage
data_codebook
Format
A tibble.
Codebook
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.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code and can be generated on demand via add_country_name().
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
level %in% c('local', 'subnational')
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.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code and can be generated on demand via add_former_country_flag().
Possible values
Value
TRUE
FALSE
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 variable 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 variable 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 variable 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 to rdb::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.
archive
The referendum's data from an earlier, obsolete RDB state.
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_trigger_actor %in% c('government', 'president', 'monarch', 'parliament')
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_trigger_actor %in% c('citizens', 'parliament', 'territorial unit')
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_trigger_actor %in% c('citizens', 'territorial unit')
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('question', 'legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)', 'principle')
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)')
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)')
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 variable 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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('question', 'legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)')
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('question', 'legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)')
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 variable 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:
inst_topics_excluded %>% purrr::map_lgl(rlang::is_empty)
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 variable 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:
inst_topics_only %>% purrr::map_lgl(rlang::is_empty)
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.
See Also
Other referendum metadata functions:
prettify_var_names(),
val_lbls(),
val_scale(),
var_name_unnested(),
var_vals()
Examples
rdb::data_codebook
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| data_codebook | R Documentation |
RDB Codebook
Description
A tibble containing the complete metadata of all rfrnds() variables. The codebook below is also available online.
Usage
data_codebook
Format
A tibble.
Codebook
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.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code and can be generated on demand via add_country_name().
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
level %in% c('local', 'subnational')
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.
Origin
This variable is derived from country_code and can be generated on demand via add_former_country_flag().
Possible values
| Value |
TRUE |
FALSE |
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 variable 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 variable 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 variable 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.
archive
The referendum's data from an earlier, obsolete RDB state.
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. |
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_trigger_actor %in% c('government', 'president', 'monarch', 'parliament')
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_trigger_actor %in% c('citizens', 'parliament', 'territorial unit')
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.
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_trigger_actor %in% c('citizens', 'territorial unit')
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. |
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('question', 'legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)', 'principle')
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. |
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)')
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. |
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)')
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 variable 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. |
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('question', 'legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)')
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. |
Applicability constraint
This variable is only applicable under the following condition:
inst_object_type %in% c('question', 'legal text (general proposal)', 'legal text (formulated proposal)')
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 variable 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:
inst_topics_excluded %>% purrr::map_lgl(rlang::is_empty)
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 variable 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:
inst_topics_only %>% purrr::map_lgl(rlang::is_empty)
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.
See Also
Other referendum metadata functions:
prettify_var_names(),
val_lbls(),
val_scale(),
var_name_unnested(),
var_vals()
Examples
rdb::data_codebook
R Package Documentation
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