Out of the four alternatives, choose the one word which can be substituted for the act in which people vote directly on a subject or policy rather than voting for a person.

Introduction / Context:

This question examines your understanding of political terminology, specifically how citizens participate in decision making. In many democratic systems, people sometimes vote not for a candidate but directly on an issue such as a new law or constitutional change. Knowing the correct term for such a vote helps you understand news articles, civics texts, and discussions about democracy.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The description is an act when people vote in order to make a decision about a particular subject or policy instead of voting for a person.
• Options: Election, Exit poll, By election, Referendum.
• We assume standard democratic political vocabulary.

Concept / Approach:

The key idea in the stem is direct decision on a policy question. An ordinary election is primarily about choosing representatives. In contrast, a referendum is a direct vote by the electorate on a specific proposal. Thus we must distinguish representative voting from direct issue based voting. Carefully understanding each term in the options will lead to the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

You can verify by thinking of real examples. When a country asks its citizens to vote yes or no on joining an international union or on changing the constitution, that process is described as a referendum. News reports frequently use the phrase national referendum on a policy question. They do not use exit poll, by election, or simple election for that specific type of vote, which confirms the choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Election focuses on choosing people for office and not directly on a single policy question.

Exit poll is only a survey after voting and does not itself make decisions or change policy.

By election is simply a special election to fill a vacancy and does not involve direct decision on a policy.

Common Pitfalls:

Candidates sometimes confuse election and referendum because both involve voting. Another common error is misreading exit poll as some sort of extra voting procedure, whereas it is only a survey of voters opinions. To avoid this, always pick out the key phrase in the stem in order to make a decision about a particular subject or policy and associate it with the technical term referendum.

Final Answer:

The act described in the question is called a Referendum.