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Abstract: With the recent move toward direct democracy in the American political scene, the referendum election has surfaced as a way of giving voters a direct say in the decision of many state and local issues. Referendums, however, are fundamentally flawed in that they force voters to separate issues which may be linked in their minds. This unnatural separation can lead to election outcomes which are at best unpleasant and at worst paradoxical. In this talk, we will examine the separability problem and consider some possible solutions. We will explore a mathematical model of separability within voter preferences and propose directions for future research.
