Final answer:
To decide if an amendment has been approved, a simple majority or a supermajority vote is used, with the latter being a higher threshold requiring a larger percentage of approval (two-thirds or three-fourths). The United States constitution requires a two-thirds vote from Congress and ratification from three-fourths of the states. A referendum is a direct form of democracy allowing citizens to confirm or repeal government decisions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In counting the vote to decide if an amendment has been approved by the people, the two alternatives are a simple majority or a supermajority. A simple majority would be more than 50% of the votes cast, often defined as 50% + 1 vote. A supermajority requires a higher threshold, such as two-thirds or three-fourths of the votes, making it more difficult for an amendment to pass, thereby upholding the status quo unless there's considerable support for a change. In the U.S., proposing constitutional amendments requires a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate; then, three-fourths of the states must ratify the amendment for it to become law, illustrating a supermajority requirement.
When citizens are directly involved in the decision-making process through a referendum, they can confirm or repeal decisions made by the government. This direct form of democracy can be seen in legislative referendums, where the legislature passes laws or amendments and asks for voter ratification, or in popular referendums, initiated by citizen petition.