What distinguishes an initiative from a referendum in ballot measures?

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At the heart of ballot measures is who starts the proposal. An initiative is driven by citizens who gather signatures to place their own proposed law or constitutional change on the ballot. A referendum, on the other hand, begins with the legislature: after passing a law, it is put to voters to approve or reject. So the distinction is citizen-proposed versus legislatively referred.

The other statements aren’t accurate because initiatives aren’t limited to taxes, and referendums aren’t limited to constitutional amendments. The process isn’t defined by judiciary or executive approval, but by who initiates the measure and how it reaches the ballot. Both tools can operate at different levels and in different contexts, depending on the jurisdiction.