Jump to a key chapter
- Definition of representative democracy
- Representative democracy vs. direct democracy
- The meaning of representative democracy
- Examples of representative democracies
- Pros and cons of representative democracies
- Key takeaways
Definition of Representative Democracy
This form of government consists of citizens who elect officials (leaders) to represent their wishes and have their opinions shared in an organized government. In this system of government, the citizens exercise their power through voting and contacting elected representatives who are then responsible for voting on laws and matters of the state. This is different from a direct democracy, where the citizens have more control and greater responsibility.
Representative Democracy vs. Direct Democracy
In contrast to representative democracy, in a direct democracy, the citizens actually vote on all policies and laws. With a large population, it would be very challenging and inefficient to have all citizens study, participate and vote on every single issue facing a society. The Ancient Greeks and Romans are credited with many attempts to grant voting rights and power to their citizens.
Direct Democracy in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is the most commonly cited example of direct democracy. This form of government granted citizens individual, direct voting rights on all issues. In Ancient Athens, the definition of a citizen only included wealthy adult males who were permitted to vote only in open forums, meaning there were no secret ballots or privacy of choices. It is from the Greeks that the word democracy is derived.
The word Democracy literally means “rule by the people”, stemming from the word “demos” meaning “people” and “kratos” meaning “rule.”
Representative Democracy in Ancient Rome
In Ancient Rome, rule by the monarch (think, king or emperor) was common until an experiment with a representative democracy emerged. During an almost 500-year period, citizens voted directly for representatives in legislatures and assemblies through periodic elections. While these elections and the transition of power were often violent, the attempt to amplify the voice of citizens was present.
The Difference Between Direct and Representative Democracies
The fundamental difference between direct and representative democracies is the role of the people in the government. In a direct democracy, the people propose and vote on the state’s rules and laws. By contrast, in a representative democracy, the voters elect representatives who then vote on the laws and rules of the state.
The Meaning of Representative Democracy
There is a strong chance you live in a representative democracy. Approximately 60% of the world’s countries are classified as representative democracies. Countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany are examples of nations with this type of government.
What are the basic features you find in countries with this form of government?
A system of free and fair elections in which political candidates compete for votes
A system of rules and requirements to decide which members of a society classify as citizens with the right to vote.
A method for communication between citizens and elected representatives and communication through the press.
The ability of citizens to impact the political process and ensure their vote is counted during established elections.
Within representative democracies, power is typically shared between legislative, executive, and judicial branches with a system of checks and balances to make sure one branch of government does not become too powerful. This separation of powers can include specific roles, functions, authority, and processes to hold other branches accountable.
Examples of Representative Democracy
With so many representative democracies around the globe, let's focus on the nation you know best before noting the state of world governments.
The United States
The United States stands out as the first modern representative democracy established. In 1831-32, a French writer, Alexis de Tocqueville, traveled throughout the U.S. and returned to Europe to write about and spread his commentary on the U.S. experiment in democracy. Tocqueville wrote,
“In America, men are nearer equality than in any other country in the world.”
Tocqueville's examination showcased a clear arrangement of the rights of citizens, voting, and participation in government. The U.S. system allows for a clear role of citizens in altering the path of the nation. Through a system of state and federal elections, voters can elect representatives to both legislative and executive roles. At the federal level, the Congress of the United States is a bicameral, or two-house design, with a House of Representatives and Senate.
Originally, citizens voted only for House members, but the 17th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1913 allowed for increased voter power. Citizens also vote for a President every four years to carry out the laws made by Congress. Similarly, state elections allow citizens to select governors and state legislators with regularly occurring elections.
One way in which a representative democracy can evolve is through a broadening of the scope of power. Throughout U.S. History, changes to state and federal laws and Constitutions resulted in an expansion of the definition of eligible voters. Over time, formerly enslaved people and women were granted the right to choose their representatives in government and the voting age was eventually lowered from 21 to 18.
Global Examples
The U.S. model became an example for many nations globally with new representative democracies forming in Europe and South America in the 1800s. Other nations have created different power-sharing relationships between executive and legislative branches and created alternative methods of representation.
Since 1900, a majority of nations in the world became representative democracies as citizens desired and in some cases, demanded a say in their nation’s decisions. This move corresponded with an overthrow of monarchies and increased de-colonization.
Current State of Representative Democracy
Since 1900, the number of democracies worldwide has increased dramatically. Countries with autocracies have been declining and many have been replaced with representative democracies.
An autocracy is a government in which one person has complete control and elections, if used, are not fair and competitive.
Pros / Cons of Representative Democracy
Pros:
A high level of personal empowerment is offered as citizens at local, state, and federal levels can select candidates for governmental office.
Citizens are not required to have detailed information and awareness of governmental data, processes, and activities. Representatives can be chosen to use their skills and knowledge to better decide on specific measures and laws.
Citizens then have more time to focus on their daily life and not attend to the affairs of government.
The process of making laws is faster as hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of citizens are not required to attend meetings, reach policy decisions, and vote on individual laws.
Cons:
Citizens often vote on a candidate and then trust the representative to fairly and accurately govern the affairs of the state or nation. As a result, many citizens are not involved in specific decisions and may be unaware of the impact of policy moves.
Representatives may abuse the trust granted to them by voters and act on their own behalf or of special interests. The only accountability is the next election; if they are allowed to run, according to the law.
A more streamlined process can result in votes brought to a legislature or an executive action before citizens are aware of their presence or impact.
Candidates can misrepresent their actual intentions or engage in political corruption. Votes may not reflect voter views on all issues as a candidate’s platform may not contain all the topics that the government will address.
The Role of Youth in a Representative Democracy
The majority of countries in the world allow for some type of representative election. Importantly, almost every nation allows 18-year-old citizens to vote and some nations allow 16 and 17-year-olds to participate in elections. By age 18, many political offices open up to those interested in representing their fellow citizens. The right to vote has been gained by advocates and activists seeking greater participation in government. Over time, the number of representative democracies has grown, as has the number of citizens eligible to exercise that right.
Representative Democracy - Key takeaways
- In a representative democracy, the citizens exercise their power through voting and contacting elected representatives who are then responsible for voting on laws and matters of the state.
- In a direct democracy, the citizens themselves vote on all policies and laws.
- Since 1900, the number of democracies worldwide has increased dramatically with over 60% of all nations fitting the definition.
- The Ancient Greeks and Romans are credited with many attempts to grant voting rights and power to their citizens through direct and representative methods.
- The United States stands out as the first modern representative democracy with many opportunities to interact with representatives and vote in state and federal elections.
- The pros and cons of representative democracy are numerous, yet the increased number of democracies and classes of people voting highlight the shift in favor of democracy.
References
- Fig. 3: Map showing the quality of democracy across the world (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Democracy_Ranking_of_the_Quality_of_Democracy_2013_(World_Map)_No._1.png) by Academic Ranking Team (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Academic_Ranking_Team&action=edit&redlink=1) licensed by CC-BY-SA-4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en).
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Frequently Asked Questions about Representative Democracy
What is representative democracy?
A form of government consists of citizens who elect officials (leaders) to represent their wishes and have their opinions shared in an organized government
What is a representative democracy with an example?
The United States is a great example of a representative democracy in which citizens elect leaders to decide on laws and rules.
What is the difference between representative democracy and direct democracy?
In a direct democracy, the people propose and vote on the state’s rules and laws. By contrast, in a representative democracy, the voters elect representatives who then vote on the laws and rules of the state.
What are the pros and cons of having a republic government?
Pros include a faster process and less responsibility for citizens. Cons include greater potential for corruption and a slow process, complicated with a large population.
Why is representative democracy necessary?
A representative democracy is favored in moderate to large population states as it balances efficiency and power-sharing.
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