Democracy

Democracy

Direct Democracy
1. Government by the people
2. Considered to be the purest form of democracy
3. Views of every person allowed to vote are directly translated into policy/law
4. Problems with Direct Democracy
  1. People may not understand complex questions
  2. Majority may discriminate towards minority
  3. Impractible in a large state
  4. Costly and time consuming
  5. People may be swayed by emotion rather then thinking rationally
  6. May result in public boredom
Representative Democracy
1. A form of democracy which citizens allow others (usually elected officials) to represent them in any of the process of legislation or law making.
2. Arguments for Representative Democracy
  1. Practical and less time consuming
  2. Politicians act more rationally than the public
  3. Representatives are held to account by the people
  4. Ensure public participation through elections, e.g. joining pressure groups
3. Arguments against Representative Democracy
  1. Irregular participation- General elections only
  2. Women and ethnic minorities are under-represented (Only 18% of politicians are women and only 3% black
  3. Voting systems are not always fair
  4. Representatives can ignore public opinion
  5. Politicians can loose touch with 'ordinary people'
Liberal Democracy
1. Basic freedoms enjoyed by all e.g. freedom of worship
2. Democracy - Free and fair elections in which 2 or more parties compete
3. Features
  1. Free and fair elections
  2. Elected representatives & govt accountable to the people
  3. Civil liberties are protected
  4. Peaceful transition of power
  5. Competitive elections

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	Created by bennevin26 almost 11 years ago