direct democracy
Voters choose policies
Direct democracy is a system of government where citizens vote on laws and policies themselves rather than through elected representatives.
Town meetings and ballot initiatives are forms of direct democracy.
The term often contrasts with representative democracy, where voters choose legislators to make decisions on their behalf: Ancient Athens practiced direct democracy; modern nations rely on representative systems.
Direct vote on legislation
- initiativeSelf-directed action capacity
- plebisciteDirect vote by citizens
- ballot measureVoting item for approval
- propositionStatement expressing a judgment
recall election · popular vote · petition · constitutional amendment · town hall · public vote · ballot initiative · voter turnout
Voting document
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- electorateEligible voting body
- pollingSystematic opinion gathering
universal suffrage · secret ballot · voter registration · polling station · electoral roll · absentee ballot · proxy vote · write-in
Active citizenship in community
- grassrootsCommon people as political base
- involvementState of being engaged
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
- activismDirect effort for reform
dialogue · debate · forum · public sphere · voice · empowerment · collective action · community organizing
Populace holds ultimate authority
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- egalitarianismPhilosophy of universal equality
- decentralizationDistributing power from center
consent of the governed · political equality · majoritarianism · localism · subsidiarity · civic duty · public interest
Formal authoritative directive
- consensusGeneral group agreement
- pluralityLargest share among several
- supermajorityVote exceeding simple majority
- simple majorityOver half of votes cast
unanimity · landslide · legitimacy · binding decision · collective agreement
referendum
Direct vote on legislation
- initiativeSelf-directed action capacity
- plebisciteDirect vote by citizens
- ballot measureVoting item for approval
proposition · recall election · popular vote · petition · constitutional amendment · town hall · public vote · ballot initiative · voter turnout · compulsory voting
ballot
Voting document
- suffrageRight to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- electorateEligible voting body
polling · universal suffrage · secret ballot · voter registration · polling station · electoral roll · absentee ballot · proxy vote · write-in · enfranchisement
civic engagement
Active citizenship in community
- grassrootsCommon people as political base
- involvementState of being engaged
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
activism · dialogue · debate · forum · public sphere · voice · empowerment · collective action · community organizing · public consultation
popular sovereignty
Populace holds ultimate authority
- self-determinationControl over one's fate
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- egalitarianismPhilosophy of universal equality
decentralization · consent of the governed · political equality · majoritarianism · localism · subsidiarity · civic duty · public interest
mandate
Formal authoritative directive
- consensusGeneral group agreement
- pluralityLargest share among several
- supermajorityVote exceeding simple majority
simple majority · unanimity · landslide · legitimacy · binding decision · collective agreement
- Swiss governanceexecutive council, legislative assembly, citizen participation
- democracyvote, voting, election, elections, ballot
- governancegovernance, government, vote, parliament, constitution
- governmentsmonarchy, autocracy, oligarchy, republic, tyranny
- SwitzerlandBern, Geneva, Zurich, Basel, Lausanne
- ancient AthensAcropolis, Parthenon, Agora, agora, Pericles
direct democracyrepresentative democracy
Governance through chosen delegates
republican government · parliamentary democracy · constitutional republic · representative government · liberal democracy
direct democracyautocracy
Rule by one
dictatorship · totalitarianism · authoritarianism · oligarchy · tyranny
direct, direction, directly, director, democracy, indirect, directive, indirectly, redirect