Can policy issues be addressed through referendums? Yes — Substantive policy issues can be address by referendums Nathaniel Persily, Institute for Government Studies, 1997 (MICHIGAN LAW & POLICY REVIEW, v. 2, p. 14) The referendum, according to the Progressive magazine, The Arena, which promoted it at the turn of the century, entails “the referring of a law or ordinance or any specific question to the people for decision at the