Direct democracy is a political system in which eligible citizens take part in decision-making directly, that is, without intermediaries. Today, there is no country of direct democracy.
Representative democracy is a form of indirect democracy, in which decisions are made by representatives elected by citizens.
| Democracy | direct democracy | Indirect democracy (representative) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | It is a political system in which the people actively participate in decision-making regarding the administration of a state / country. | It is a political system in which the people, directly and without representatives, actively participate in the decision-making of a state / country. | It consists of the population choosing, through elections, representatives to make decisions on its behalf. |
| Characteristics | It can be direct (in which citizens decide on issues related to creation of laws, budget, etc.); or indirect / representative (in which the population chooses representatives to make decisions on their behalf). |
In direct democracy, all matters related to the administration of the state/country are defined by the people. In this case, there is no choice of representatives, as the population would participate actively and directly in decision-making. |
The population chooses representatives to make decisions on their behalf. There are elections for these to be elected. That is, the population participates in decisions through people they trust, chosen democratically. |
| Examples |
Democratic countries:
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Currently, there is no country of direct democracy. In Ancient Greece it was exercised, but at that time not everyone could participate in decision-making, like women. |
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What is democracy?
The word democracy comes from the Greek for “rule by the people”. As one might suppose, it is the population of a country that participates in decision-making. However, for a government to be considered democratic, it needs to guarantee the equality and freedom of the people, in addition to the rule of law.
Democracy is a political system in which citizens can participate in decisions related to the state directly or indirectly.
Decision-making can be related to the choice of representatives to decide on behalf of the people on various matters, such as the creation of laws.
What is direct democracy?
When citizens participate actively and directly in the political decisions of a State, they live in a direct democracy. Decision-making is done by voting and popular consultations (such as plebiscites and referendums).
However, there are currently no countries where direct democracy is exercised. Most countries opt for the democratic model of indirect (representative) democracy. Thus, citizens choose representatives to make decisions on their behalf.
There is some consensus that there has never been a direct democracy. In Ancient Greece, for example, only part of the population had the right to participate in decisions.
It is seen by many as a model that may not work effectively. This is because issues in which thousands of people need to decide on a given subject could be difficult to reach a clear consensus.
What is indirect or representative democracy?
In an indirect (representative) democracy, citizens choose representatives at regular intervals to vote on matters for the administration of the country. In Brazil, elections for these representatives take place every four years, but vary from country to country.
It is therefore important for citizens in an indirect (representative) democracy to be aware of who they choose for political office. This is because they will represent them in government and make decisions on their behalf.
Brazil is a supporter of representative democracy (also called indirect or semi-direct). Thus, the people choose representatives, who exercise mandates to carry out the wills and desires of the population.
However, at times, citizens may be called upon to decide on issues directly, through plebiscites and referendums.
Most democratic countries are adherents of representative democracy. In addition to Brazil, examples include the United States, France, Portugal, Canada, the United Kingdom, among others.
See also the difference between:
- Parliamentarianism and presidentialism
- monarchy and republic
- Executive, Legislative and Judiciary: the three powers
