<button name="sample1" class="sample1">кнопка</button>

    <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
    $('.sample1').click( function() {

        $.ajax({
          url: 'response.php?action=sample1',
          success: function(data) {
            $('.results').html(data);
          }
        });

    });

<a href="#" onclick='simple1'>test</a>

	<a href="#" onclick="relka()">test</a>

	<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
	function relka() {

	$.ajax({
		url: 'response.php?action=sample1',
			success: function(data) {
			$('.results').html(data);
			}
		});
	};

	</script>

<a href="javascript:myFunction('simple1');">кнопка 1</a>


<a href="javascript:myFunction('simple2');">кнопка 2</a>

function myFunction(actionName) {
    alert(actionName);
}