Direct vs representative democracy – Flashcards

'Government of the people, by the people, for the people' -Abraham Lincoln. Its key principles are: Political equality and political participation.

Citizens have direct, unmediated (no distinction between the government and the governed)- system of popular self-government and continuous participation in the tasks of government. Everyone is fully involved in every decision (can vote/debate on every issue). An example is Ancient Greece, most notably Athens, there was an assembly made up of a quorum of 6,000 males aged over 20 that met at least 40 times per year to vote on decisions/ issues. In the modern world, direct democracy is used as more of a supplementary device e.g. use of referenda or on a smaller scale (i.e. local governments) e.g. communal assemblies that operate in the smaller Swiss cantons.

Citizens have indirect, mediated and occasional political participation. Individuals elect a representative that they feel would best represent their interests/ beliefs. The decision making is then carried out by these representatives (professional politicians) who in turn are accountable to the people (can be removed via democratic elections). The people are linked to the government through representative institutions (parliament). Once elected, representatives have a degree of freedom to operate as they see best for their constituents. EDMUND BURKE suggests that representatives are not mere delegates but rather are elected to take complex decisions after discussing and deliberating on these issues. Most modern democratic nations have representative democracies e.g. the UK.

Basic condition of representative democracy is the existence of DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS: -Free and fair elections -Universal suffrage (political equality) -Party and candidate competition (electoral choice)

A delegates function is to look after the interests of the group, organisation or person they represent. They are elected to carry out broad instructions and to refrain for independent policy making; follow orders.

The trustee model (strong elitist undercurrent) proposed by political theorist Edmund Burke states that MPs are responsible for representing the interests of their constituencies in parliament. Once elected, MPs are able to vote on an issue based on their OWN INDEPENDENT JUDGEMENT-- they become responsible to whole country as an MP. Burke argued that MPs had to be independent of the electorates passions and had to be free to exercise their independent thought so were not simply a mouthpiece.

'Representative democracy plus limited government'. Indirect democracy where the right to rule is gained through success in regular and competitive elections (political equality). Attempts to combine the 'liberal' goal of a limited government with the 'democratic' commitment to elections and popular participation. Balances the need for popular government against the desire to protect the individual.

-free and fair elections -competition between parties/candidates -guaranteed civil liberties and individual rights -constitutional government (a limited gov. with check and balances) -civil society- individuals enjoy independence from the government

Emphasises the protection of individual rights and minorities as well as the dispersal of government power. Features: proportional elections, coalition governments

Emphasise the general interests of society. It is based on the principle of majority rule where the majority takes precedence of the minority. Features of a majoritarian democracy: Parliamentary sovereignty, majoritarian elections (FPTP), single-party and centralised governments. -the UK's democratic features are traditionally of a majoritarian nature (westminster elections, parliament...)

-Genuine democracy -Personal development -End of professional politics -Legitimate government

Direct democracy is the only 'pure' form of democracy- the people only obey laws they have made themselves. The inclusion of all citizens in decision making upholds political participation- a fundamental principle of democracy, as they have a say on matters affecting their daily lives.

Direct democracy creates better-informed and more knowledgeable citizens. Direct and regular popular participation in the tasks of government encourages people to take more interest in politics thus making them more educated on issues as well as better understanding of their own society.

Direct democracy reduces, or perhaps even removes, the public's dependance on 'self-serving' professional politicians. In a representative democracy, too much faith and power is placed in politicians who can use this in an arbitrary manner and can distort public opinion by imposing their own views ('government by politicians'). A direct democracy avoids this issue as the people essentially have the power to make decisions and thus are not reliant on representatives that do not necessarily have the people's best interest at heart.

Direct democracy ensures rule in legitimate- people are more likely to accept decisions made by themselves as opposed to policies implemented by professional politicians that may only benefit or apply to a few in society. As the citizens make political decisions themselves, they have to take responsibility for them- there is essentially no one that can be held accountable to them. Consequently, this helps create stable government.

-Impractical in modern society; time consuming and expensive -General public are ignorant and lack knowledge -Majority lose interest; decision-making power falls on the minority that care -Biased media can influence/sway public opinion

-Practicable democracy -Government by experts -Division of labour in politics -Political stability

Representative democracy is the only form of democracy that can operate on a large scale so is effective in large, modern societies. Whereas, direct democracy is only really achievable in small communities as it would be way too time consuming to carry out on e.g. an entire nation like the UK with the population of 64.1 million people. Therefore, it is a practical solution to popular rule.

Representative democracy places decision-making power in the hands of professional politicians who generally have better education and expertise than the mass of people. Thus, they are able to make perhaps more assured, rational and educated decisions over certain policy-making areas. Representatives can govern for the people using superior understanding to act in the public interest e.g. Member of the cabinet- Different secretary of states in specialised fields they are expert in e.g. Jeremy Hunt acts as secretary of state for Health. Maybe politicians have been involved in politics since a young age so have the needed experience to govern effectively e.g. Nicky Morgan.

In a direct democracy, politics is the job of all citizens, restricting their ability to carry out other duties and activities as they are required to vote on every decision. On the other hand, in a representative democracy citizens are relieved of day-to-day decision making, they simply have to decide who governs them. Thus society is able to operate more smoothly and efficiently.

A representative democracy maintains political stability by helping to distance ordinary citizens from politics, thereby encouraging them to accept COMPROMISE. The more involved citizens are, the more passionate and committed they may become, potentially resulting in nothing ever getting done as no overall agreement may be reached on an issue. A certain level of apathy is helpful in maintaining political stability e.g. The UK's longstanding democratic rule exemplifies its political stability.

-Voter Apathy (low public participation) -Tyranny of the majority -Government's manifesto aims not always kept- losing public accountability -Inadequate social representation