Direct Democracy

DIRECT DEMOCRACY, OR government by the whole, is a system in which all citizens can participate in the political process and make decisions directly. Ideally, if all citizens vote to elect someone, it is a better expression of the will of the whole. In a system of indirect Democracy, such as an elected representation system or a republic, the elected representative may or may not be representative of everyone. Notions of an indirect Democracy often clash with ideas relating to direct Democracy, leading many to speculate about the implications this has on elections and more generally, Democracy. Direct Democracy in its purest form was practiced in Ancient Greece, though the idea seems impractical in modern societies.

In a direct Democracy, citizens vote directly on issues. In a system of indirect Democracy, such as the representation system in the United States and in many other countries, voting is done indirectly or by proxy. Constituents elect a representative, and, in turn, the representative votes on the issue, supposedly on behalf of the constituency that elected him or her. Many argue against this idea, noting that sovereignty should not be delegated. If citizens allow themselves to be represented by others, then they are no longer free. In addition, if citizens are represented, then accountability is needed to ensure that the representatives do not pursue their own self-interests. Finally, because those with higher education, income, and class are more likely to vote, those with lower socioeconomic status factors can be underrepresented.

Others note that indirect Democracy is more feasible than direct Democracy, given the large populations and complexity of modern societies. In terms of accountability, the election structure present in many countries allows citizens to serve as checks to see if the representative is acting responsibly. Because representatives hold office for a limited time, citizens reward the representatives for acting on their behalf by re-electing them. In turn, if the representative does not act on their behalf, they can be punished by not being re-elected. Knowing this, a representative is more likely to act on the constituency's behalf. For example, when voters make decisions in presidential elections, one of the major determinants in that decision is the voter's perception of the ruling party's performance during the previous four years of governance, and whether or not this adheres to the voter's expectation and their perception of whether or not the representative acted on their behalf.

Ancient Greece was the first known culture to practice direct Democracy. Adult citizens considered it their duty to participate in politics directly, and believed that political participation was essential to a Democracy. While the citizenry were limited to male elites, they considered participation important. Direct Democracy may have been more practical in this time period, when the citizenry comprised a significantly smaller portion of the population.