direct democracy

(noun)

Direct democracy is a form of democracy in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Depending on the particular system in use, it might entail passing executive decisions, making laws, directly electing or dismissing officials and conducting trials. Two leading forms of direct democracy are participatory democracy and deliberative democracy.

Related Terms

  • representative democracy
  • democracy

Examples of direct democracy in the following topics:

  • Democratic Governments

    • Several variants of democracy exist, but there are two basic forms, both of which concern how the whole body of citizens executes its will: direct democracy and representative democracy .
    • Direct democracy is a form of democracy in which people vote on policy initiatives directly.
    • Two leading forms of direct democracy are participatory democracy and deliberative democracy.
    • The earliest known direct democracy is said to be the Athenian Democracy in the 5th century BCE, although it was not an inclusive democracy; women, foreigners, and slaves were excluded from it.
    • As a result, they advocated a representative democracy in the form of a constitutional republic over a direct democracy.
  • Democracy

    • One form of democracy is direct democracy, in which citizens have direct and active participation in the decision making of the government.
    • While there is no universally accepted definition of "democracy," equality and freedom have both been identified as important components of democracy since ancient times.
    • Democracy, however, does not necessarily guarantee a good government.
    • Athenian democracy took the form of a direct democracy, and it had two distinguishing features: the random selection of ordinary citizens to fill the few existing government administrative and judicial offices, and a legislative assembly consisting of all Athenian citizens.
    • The United States is an example of a Presidential Democracy – a Presidential Democracy is a system where the public elects the president through free and fair elections.
  • Popular Consent, Majority Rule, and Popular Sovereignty

    • Popular sovereignty is thus a basic tenet of most democracies.
    • The "sovereign" is the rule of law, ideally decided on by direct democracy in an assembly.
    • Explain the significance of popular sovereignty and the consent of the governed for liberal democracy
  • Types of Elections

    • A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal, usually a piece of legislation which has been passed into law by the local legislative body and signed by the pertinent executive official(s) .
    • Similarly, a recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended.
    • Recalls, which are initiated when sufficient voters sign a petition, have a history dating back to the ancient Athenian democracy and are a feature of several contemporary constitutions.
  • Non-Democratic Governments: Authoritarianism, Totalitarianism, and Dictatorship

    • Unlike democracy, authoritarianism and totalitarianism are forms of government where an individual or a single-party concentrates all power.
    • For Friedrich and Brzezinski, the defining elements were intended to be taken as a mutually supportive organic entity composed of the following: an elaborating guiding ideology; a single mass party, typically led by a dictator; a system of terror; a monopoly of the means of communication and physical force; and central direction, and control of the economy through state planning.
    • In this sense, dictatorship (government without people's consent) is a contrast to democracy (government whose power comes from people) and totalitarianism (government controls every aspect of people's life) opposes pluralism (government allows multiple lifestyles and opinions).
  • Jacksonian Democrats: 1824–1860

    • Jacksonian democracy is the political movement toward greater democracy for the common man typified by American politician Andrew Jackson.
    • Jacksonian democracy is the political movement toward greater democracy for the common man typified by American politician Andrew Jackson and his supporters.
    • Jackson's policies followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous political era.
    • It can be contrasted with the characteristics of Jeffersonian democracy.
    • The Whigs were the inheritors of Jeffersonian Democracy in terms of promoting schools and colleges.
  • The General Election Campaign

    • Major campaigns in the United States are often much longer than those in other democracies.
    • Late in the campaign, campaigns will launch expensive television, radio, and direct mail campaigns aimed at persuading voters to support their candidate.
    • Identify the features that distinguish American elections from those in other democracies
  • Non-Democratic Governments: Monarchy, Oligarchy, Technocracy, and Theocracy

    • In later times, aristocracy was usually seen as rule by a privileged group, the aristocratic class, and contrasted with democracy.
    • Unlike systems such as democracy, plutocracy is not rooted in a political philosophy and has no advocates; the term is only used in a pejorative sense.
    • Theocracy essentially means rule by a church or analogous religious leadership; a state in which the goal is to direct the population towards God and in which God himself is the theoretical "head of the state".
  • Dual Federalism: From the Civil War to the 1930s

    • The theory originated within the Jacksonian democracy movement against the mercantilist American system and centralization of government under the Adams administration during the 1820s.
    • President Jackson used the theory as part of his justification in combating the national bank and the Supreme Court moved the law in the direction of dual federalism.
  • The Modern Political Campaign

    • In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, where representatives are chosen or referendums are decided .
    • Major campaigns in the United States are often much longer than those in other democracies.
    • Late in the campaign, campaigns will launch expensive television, radio, and direct mail campaigns aimed at persuading voters to support the candidate.
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