direct democracy

Also known as Pure Democracy

form of democracy where people decide on policy directly

AI overview

Direct democracy is a form of government where citizens vote directly on policy decisions rather than electing representatives to make those decisions for them. It matters because it gives ordinary people a more immediate say in the laws and policies that affect their lives.

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Image: Landsgemeinde Glarus 2006.jpg

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Commons category: Direct democracy

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Article

A Landsgemeinde, "cantonal assembly", in the canton of Glarus on 7 May 2006, Switzerland. Landsgemeinden are public voting gatherings, and are one of the oldest examples of direct democracy.

Direct democracy or pure democracy is a form of democracy in which the electorate directly decides on policy initiatives, without elected representatives as proxies, as opposed to the representative democracy model which occurs in the majority of established democracies. The theory and practice of direct democracy and participation as its common characteristic constituted the core of the work of many theorists, philosophers, politicians, and social critics, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Stuart Mill, and G.D.H. Cole.