Definition: Representative and Direct DemocraciesĪ representative democracy is a system of government where citizens elect representatives to vote on laws on their behalf.
These two systems are called a representative democracy and a direct democracy, respectively. The American people could have voted on laws and issues themselves instead of through a spokesperson. However, they didn’t necessarily have to design the government this way. They decided to balance both interests and choose a system where the people would select officials that would vote for them. After escaping British rule, they wanted the people to have representation, but they were also concerned that the average citizen wasn’t educated enough to vote properly.
The Founders of the United States had to decide how much say the people would have in their government. But exactly how much say should people have? Keep that question in mind as we learn more about the different types of democracy. Democracy is based on ordinary people having a say in their government. The real work of lawmaking happens in Congress, where thousands of votes are taken each session. Have you ever thought about how even though America is a democracy, citizens don’t really vote all that often? In the United States, the average voter can cast a ballot once every two years.
