Direct and Representative Democracy

What is direct democracy known as?

pure democracy

What is direct democracy?

direct democracy forms of direct participation of citizens in democratic decision making, in contrast to representative democracy.

How does a direct democracy work?

direct democracies may operate through an assembly of citizens or by means of referenda and initiatives in which citizens vote on issues instead of for candidates or parties

Ex: Where was primea located? Explain the situation

Primea was located in Ukraine but then it became Russian territory. It was given to Ukraine as a gift, but the people requested referenda because they were mostly Russian and wanted to become a part of Russia.

Elections in direct democracy

citizens practice electing representatives in a direct vote rather than indirectly through an electing body.

Democarcy

Rule by the people. it is derived from the greek word demokratia, which was coined from demos (people) and kratos (rule).

where did direct democracy start?

in Athens

In direct Democracy....

the people vote on every law or issue considered at every level of government

Where and when did the term democracy originate from?

the term originated in the mid 5th century B.C.E. and was used to refer to the political system in Greek city-states, specifically in Athens

Direct democracy pros

there was no cheating in votes- you cant cheat the system

every vote counts

Direct democracy cons

time consuming for citizens

fear of giving real opinions on votes

weaker citizens can be manipulated into voting what powerful citizens want

Direct democracy in Athens vs. Switzerland regarding voting

Athens- only male citizens can vote

Switzerland- everyone can vote regardless of gender

Athens- males had to own property or land

Switzerland- voters do not have to own land or property

Athens- must be a citizen of Athens

Swiss- Must be a swiss citizen

Athens- must be 35 or above to vote

swiss- voters bust be 18 or above

Athens- voters must be free

swiss- social status is irrelevant

Athens- voting is based on yes or no

swiss- voting is based on yes or no

Examples of direct democracy

Switzerland and Athens

Switzerland

the purest form of democracy exists in two swiss cantons called Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus.

Appenzell Innerrhoden

Appenzell was the last swiss canton to grant women the right to vote on local issues. They gave them the right to vote in 1991.

How many times per year do swiss citizens vote? What do they vote on?

swiss citizens vote regularly 4 times per year on every political level, such as financial approvals of a school house, constitutional changes, foreign policy of Switzerland, abortion, euthanasia, etc.

What has direct democracy shown to increase?

Direct democracy has been shown to increase citizens' knowledge and satisfaction with the political process

Direct Democracy Experiment

in an experiment involving 49 Indonesian villages, local participation in the decision process on development projects through popular (majority) votes resulted in dramatically higher satisfaction among villagers. It also increased knowledge about the projects and led to greater perceived benefits and a higher reported willingness to contribute.

mandatory referenda

have to be held when a referendum vote is required by law or a constitution for deciding on a specific subject

when does a referenda take place?

a referenda takes place when a president, cabinet, or legislature decides to call a popular vote on a particular issue unexpectedly.

citizens' initiatives

citizens' initiatives are supported by a required number of signatures that allow the electorate to vote on political measures proposed by a group on bills approved by a legislature but not yet in force or on existing laws

Representative Democracy

a form of government where voters elect officials to create and vote on laws, policies, and other matters of government on their behalf.

Where is representative democracy typically employed?

in larger countries

Ancient Greece was a direct democracy

all citizens represented themselves directly and could participate in government and voting

citizens would gather and discuss issues

what about the population of ancient greece?

the population of ancient Greece was large but still small enough to have a government in place that allowed all citizens to debate and vote

example of representative democracy

The United States

what happens in a represented democracy?

citizens elect officials to represent them

elected officials meet to make laws and enforce them

For an example, the U.S.

has senators and congressmen to represent and vote for the people

common characteristics

-The powers of the elected representatives are defined by a constitution which establishes the basic laws, principles, and framework of the government

-the constitution may provide for some forms of limited direct democracy such as recall elections and ballot initiative elections

-elected representatives may also have the power to select government leaders such as a prime minister or president. example= U.K.

-an independent judicial body, such as the U.S. supreme court, may have the power to declare laws enacted by the representatives to be unconstitutional

What happens in ballot initiative elections?

the government provides the people with a certain law and gives the people the choice to either accept or reject it.

Which governments does representative democracy stand out in sharp contrast?

totalitarianism, authoritarianism, and fascism

these form of governments allow people little to no elected representation

Representative Democracy pro 1

efficient: a single elected official represents the desires of a large number of people. By conducting a limited number of national elections, countries with representatives democracies save time and money which can be devoted to other public needs

Representative Democracy pro 2

empowers the people: the people of each of the country's political subdivisions (state, district, region, etc.) choose the representatives who will make their voices heard by the national government. Should those representatives fail to meet the expectations of their constituents, the voters can replace them in the next election.

Representative Democracy pro 3

encourages participation: when people are confident that they have a say in their government's decisions, they are more likely to remain aware of issues affecting their country and to vote as a way of making their opinions on those issues heard.

Representative Democracy con 1

not always reliable: the votes of elected officials in a representative democracy may not always reflect the will of the people. the officials are not bound by law to vote the way the people who elected them want to vote. Unless terms limits apply to the official in question, the only options available is to dissatisfied constituents are to vote the representative put of office in the next election, or in some cases, to demand a recall election.

Representative Democracy con 2

can become inefficient: government shaped by representative democracy may develop into massive bureaucracies, which are notoriously slow to take action, especially on momentous issues.

Representative Democracy con 3

can invite corruption: 1candidates may misrepresent their stances on issues or policy goals in order to achieve political power. In office, politicians may act in the service of personal financial gain rather for the benefit of their constituents.

Flawed Democracy

-several countries are classified as "Flawed Democracies"

-A democracy sharing some features of full democracy but marred by voter fraud, uneven enforcement of civil and political rights, patronage politics, and corruption

Elections in a democracy

are free, fair and basic liberties are included

What aspects of a democracy have flaws?

Low levels of participation in politics and civics

underdeveloped political culture

countries who have the points mentioned above tend to have the most corruption

Religion in Democracy

religion is never tied to the state in a democracy, it is always separated.

The state is secular.

DD and RD differences

-In a direct democracy, citizens represent themselves, while in a representative democracy, citizens elect representatives to represent them.

-In a direct democracy, the citizens make and pass the laws. In a representative democracy, the representatives elected by the people make and pass the laws on behalf of the people.

-In a representative democracy, decisions and laws have to be agreed upon by many branches of the government which could take a while. Thus, it is slower to pass laws in a representative democracy. In a direct democracy, decisions are made quickly; in case of emergencies, laws can be passed or changed very quickly because they do not need to be approved by many branches of the government.

-Direct democracy works best in countries with a small population. While representative democracy works best in countries with a large population.

-Direct democracy is more direct and transparent than a representative democracy

DD and RD similarities

-Both types of governments are forms of democracy.

-Both governments are controlled by the people whether it is directly or indirectly.

-Both democracies give the population power; it allows them to have a say in decisions.

-In both governments, people have a right to express their opinions.

-In both democracies, the people have the right to vote.

-More than one person makes decisions in both governments.

-Children cannot vote under both governments