Representative Democracy

Definition of Representative Democracy

This form of government consists of citizens who elect officials (leaders) to represent their wishes and have their opinions shared in an organized government. In this system of government, the citizens exercise their power through voting and contacting elected representatives who are then responsible for voting on laws and matters of the state. This is different from a direct democracy, where the citizens have more control and greater responsibility.

Fig. 1: Ohio women demonstrating the voting process in 1920

Representative Democracy vs. Direct Democracy

In contrast to representative democracy, in a direct democracy, the citizens actually vote on all policies and laws. With a large population, it would be very challenging and inefficient to have all citizens study, participate and vote on every single issue facing a society. The Ancient Greeks and Romans are credited with many attempts to grant voting rights and power to their citizens.

Direct Democracy in Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece is the most commonly cited example of direct democracy. This form of government granted citizens individual, direct voting rights on all issues. In Ancient Athens, the definition of a citizen only included wealthy adult males who were permitted to vote only in open forums, meaning there were no secret ballots or privacy of choices. It is from the Greeks that the word democracy is derived.

Representative Democracy in Ancient Rome

In Ancient Rome, rule by the monarch (think, king or emperor) was common until an experiment with a representative democracy emerged. During an almost 500-year period, citizens voted directly for representatives in legislatures and assemblies through periodic elections. While these elections and the transition of power were often violent, the attempt to amplify the voice of citizens was present.

The Difference Between Direct and Representative Democracies

The fundamental difference between direct and representative democracies is the role of the people in the government. In a direct democracy, the people propose and vote on the state’s rules and laws. By contrast, in a representative democracy, the voters elect representatives who then vote on the laws and rules of the state.

The Meaning of Representative Democracy

There is a strong chance you live in a representative democracy. Approximately 60% of the world’s countries are classified as representative democracies. Countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany are examples of nations with this type of government.

What are the basic features you find in countries with this form of government?

• A system of free and fair elections in which political candidates compete for votes

• A system of rules and requirements to decide which members of a society classify as citizens with the right to vote.

• A method for communication between citizens and elected representatives and communication through the press.

• The ability of citizens to impact the political process and ensure their vote is counted during established elections.

Within representative democracies, power is typically shared between legislative, executive, and judicial branches with a system of checks and balances to make sure one branch of government does not become too powerful. This separation of powers can include specific roles, functions, authority, and processes to hold other branches accountable.

Examples of Representative Democracy

With so many representative democracies around the globe, let's focus on the nation you know best before noting the state of world governments.

The United States

The United States stands out as the first modern representative democracy established. In 1831-32, a French writer, Alexis de Tocqueville, traveled throughout the U.S. and returned to Europe to write about and spread his commentary on the U.S. experiment in democracy. Tocqueville wrote,

Tocqueville's examination showcased a clear arrangement of the rights of citizens, voting, and participation in government. The U.S. system allows for a clear role of citizens in altering the path of the nation. Through a system of state and federal elections, voters can elect representatives to both legislative and executive roles. At the federal level, the Congress of the United States is a bicameral, or two-house design, with a House of Representatives and Senate.

Originally, citizens voted only for House members, but the 17th amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1913 allowed for increased voter power. Citizens also vote for a President every four years to carry out the laws made by Congress. Similarly, state elections allow citizens to select governors and state legislators with regularly occurring elections.

One way in which a representative democracy can evolve is through a broadening of the scope of power. Throughout U.S. History, changes to state and federal laws and Constitutions resulted in an expansion of the definition of eligible voters. Over time, formerly enslaved people and women were granted the right to choose their representatives in government and the voting age was eventually lowered from 21 to 18.

Fig. 2: U.S. Capitol, Washington D.C.

Global Examples

The U.S. model became an example for many nations globally with new representative democracies forming in Europe and South America in the 1800s. Other nations have created different power-sharing relationships between executive and legislative branches and created alternative methods of representation.

Since 1900, a majority of nations in the world became representative democracies as citizens desired and in some cases, demanded a say in their nation’s decisions. This move corresponded with an overthrow of monarchies and increased de-colonization.

Current State of Representative Democracy

Since 1900, the number of democracies worldwide has increased dramatically. Countries with autocracies have been declining and many have been replaced with representative democracies.

Fig. 3: Map showing the quality of democracy across the world.

Pros / Cons of Representative Democracy

Pros:

• A high level of personal empowerment is offered as citizens at local, state, and federal levels can select candidates for governmental office.

• Citizens are not required to have detailed information and awareness of governmental data, processes, and activities. Representatives can be chosen to use their skills and knowledge to better decide on specific measures and laws.

• Citizens then have more time to focus on their daily life and not attend to the affairs of government.

• The process of making laws is faster as hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of citizens are not required to attend meetings, reach policy decisions, and vote on individual laws.

Cons:

• Citizens often vote on a candidate and then trust the representative to fairly and accurately govern the affairs of the state or nation. As a result, many citizens are not involved in specific decisions and may be unaware of the impact of policy moves.

• Representatives may abuse the trust granted to them by voters and act on their own behalf or of special interests. The only accountability is the next election; if they are allowed to run, according to the law.

• A more streamlined process can result in votes brought to a legislature or an executive action before citizens are aware of their presence or impact.

• Candidates can misrepresent their actual intentions or engage in political corruption. Votes may not reflect voter views on all issues as a candidate’s platform may not contain all the topics that the government will address.