Direct democracy and Representative democracy Flashcards
What is direct democracy?
Direct democracy is when all individuals express their opinions themselves and not through representatives acting on their behalf. For example, referendums.
What is representative democracy?
A form of democracy in which an individual selects a person or political party to act on their behalf to exercise political choice.
What are the features of direct democracy?
1) Individuals express opinions themselves.
2) Citizens are more active in decision-making.
3) Not elective.
What are the features of representative of democracy?
1) Citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
2) All adults citizens have the right to vote for representatives.
3) Citizens pass their authority to their representatives.
4) Elections for representatives are free and fair.
What are the advantages of direct democracy?
1) Gives equal weight to all votes, unlike a representative system where the varying sizes of constituencies mean that votes do not all have equal value.
2) Encourages popular participation in politics by expecting people to take their duties as citizens seriously.
3) Removes the need for trusted representatives, as people can take responsibility for their own decisions.
4) Develops a sense of community and encourages genuine debate.
What are the disadvantages of direct democracy?
1) Impractical in a large, heavily populated modern state where decision-making is complicated.
2) Many people will not want to - or feel qualified to- to take part in decision making, so political activists decide what happens.
3) Opens to manipulation by the cleverest and most articulate speakers, who will persuade people to support their viewpoint.
4) Will of the majority is not mediated by parliamentary institutions so minority view points are disregarded.
What are the advantages of representative democracy?
1) The only practical system in a large modern state, where issues are complex and often need rapid response.
2) Politicians form parties, bringing coherence and giving people a real choice of representative. Pressure groups form to represent different interests, promoting debate and encouraging pluralist democracy.
3) Reduces chances of tyranny of the majority.
4) Elections allow people to hold representatives to account.
5) Politicians are (in theory) better informed than the average citizen about the many issues on which they must take a view.
What are the disadvantages of representative democracy?
1) May lead to reduced participation as people choose to hand responsibility to politicians.
2) Parties and pressure groups are often run by elites pursuing their own agendas, not truly representing the people.
3) Minorities may still find themselves under-represented as politicians are more likely to follow the views of the majority to secure election.
4) Politicians are skilful in avoiding accountability. Especially as general elections are usually 5 years apart in the uk.
5) Politicians may be corrupt and incompetent, may betray elections promises or put loyalty to their party before responsibility to the electorate.
What are the similarities between direct and representative democracy?
1) Both are designed to implement the will of the people and are based on the concept of majority rule- citizens still vote on policy in representative democracy by voting for representatives who align with their policy positions.
2) They can both be implemented at different levels of government, including local, regional and national government.
3) In both systems, the people can be swayed by powerful and clever individuals including politicians and those in the media.
4) Direct democracy plays an important role in representative democracy, for example through petitions and pressure groups which forward the view of the public.
What are the differences between direct and representative democracy?
1) In direct democracy individuals express opinions themselves, whereas in representative democracy citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
2) Citizens are much more involved in decision making on a regular basis in direct democracy requiring a lot of more of citizens. Whereas, in representative democracy citizens are less involved in decision making.
3) In representative democracy, there are political parties, whereas in direct democracy there aren’t although there are campaigns on each side of the debate.
4) In representative democracy, a government is elected which can be held to direct account by the people.
5) There are more protections and representation for minorities in representative democracy whereas direct democracy operates by rule of the majority.
6) Representative democracy can be seen as being able to handle complex and technical political decisions whilst direct democracy can’t.
