- A democracy is what’s known as “people power” with the government telling people to vote on issues that directly affect them.
What
Are The Functions Of A Democracy:
- Representation: People talking about there views in government e.g MPs
- Accountability: The government is made to explain and take responsibility for there actions.
- Participation: Everyone should be engaged and should take part in a political process
- Power Dispersal: Power should be spread to avoid one party becoming dominant
- Legitimacy: Government have the legal authority and will fairly represent the will of the people. It will also be a fair and legal election. Elections are fair if it is a secret ballot and votes are counted correctly.
- Education: Politics should be open to all and everyone should be educated to make informed decisions.
Examples
Of Direct Democracy:
- Referendums: A public vote directly on an issue presented to them
- Initiatives: Mainly used in the USA, called for by a percentage of the population so it is more direct to the public.
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Arguments For Direct
Democracy |
Arguments Against
Direct Democracy |
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Pure form of democracy as
everyone has a say |
Not practical as there are
many issues in the current world which need debating |
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Increased legitimacy as
they have the support of the people |
Minorities are not heard
because of majorities |
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Improves participation as
they have more opportunities when it will directly affect them.
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Undermines the elected
representative which the public voted for |
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Increases public
engagement as more people have a say |
Low turnouts mean only a
small amount of people actually make a decision.
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Improves education as
people need to be informed to make decisions.
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People vote based on
emotion and not on what they have learnt.
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It already works in other
countries such as Switzerland.
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People vote on what works
best for them and not what may be in the public interest.
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