ABSTRACT
Introduction International politics can be seen as a special kind of game, one that frequently is deadly in its consequences. The key players generally are relatively few in number, but on some issues it is possible for entire populations to have a role to play. Sometimes that role can be very direct and influential, as in the case of the referendums held in France, Denmark and Ireland during 1992 on the question of whether or not to implement the Treaty on European Union (or the later referendums held within several new applicants to the EU on the question of whether or not they should join). In some circumstances, as in the case of nuclear war, that role can be simply to die.
