representative democracies
Voters choose legislators
Representative democracies are political systems in which citizens elect officials to make decisions on their behalf, rather than voting directly on every issue.
Most modern democracies operate this way: The United States and United Kingdom are representative democracies.
The term distinguishes these systems from direct democracies, where citizens vote on laws themselves.
Right to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- pollingSystematic opinion gathering
- enfranchisementGranting citizenship rights
- disenfranchisementRemoval of voting rights
voter registration · electoral roll · polling station · absentee · proxy · ballot box · civic duty · majority rule
Supervision or inadvertent omission
- transparencyState of being see-through
- checks and balancesConstitutional power-limiting framework
- separation of powersConstitutional distribution of authority
- impeachmentCharging officials with misconduct
censure · recall · term limits · audits · ombudsman · whistleblower · freedom of press · public scrutiny
Electoral regions or supporter groups
- delegatesChosen representatives or assigns
- elected officialsLeaders chosen by vote
- legislatorsElected law-making officials
- senatorsUpper legislative body members
congresspersons · councillors · constituents · mandate · popular sovereignty · consent of governed · voice · advocacy
National legislative assembly
- assemblyConstructing from components
- senateLegislative governing body
- councilAdvisory deliberative group
- legislatureLawmaking governmental branch
cabinet · ministry · executive · judiciary · bicameral · unicameral · coalition · committees
Nongovernmental organized citizenry
- political partiesOrganized electoral coalitions
- grassrootsCommon people as political base
- activismDirect effort for reform
- lobbyingAdvocating to decision-makers
petitions · town halls · public hearings · civic engagement · voter mobilization · canvassing · protests · free speech
Organized efforts toward goals
- candidatesThose seeking selection
- ballotsVoting forms
- primariesIntraparty nomination contests
- caucusesClosed political party meetings
debates · polls · turnout · electorate · nominees · platforms · endorsements · conventions
suffrage
Right to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- pollingSystematic opinion gathering
- enfranchisementGranting citizenship rights
disenfranchisement · voter registration · electoral roll · polling station · absentee · proxy · ballot box · civic duty · majority rule · plurality
oversight
Supervision or inadvertent omission
- transparencyState of being see-through
- checks and balancesConstitutional power-limiting framework
- separation of powersConstitutional distribution of authority
impeachment · censure · recall · term limits · audits · ombudsman · whistleblower · freedom of press · public scrutiny · peaceful transfer
constituencies
Electoral regions or supporter groups
- delegatesChosen representatives or assigns
- elected officialsLeaders chosen by vote
- legislatorsElected law-making officials
senators · congresspersons · councillors · constituents · mandate · popular sovereignty · consent of governed · voice · advocacy · proportionality
parliament
National legislative assembly
- assemblyConstructing from components
- senateLegislative governing body
- councilAdvisory deliberative group
legislature · cabinet · ministry · executive · judiciary · bicameral · unicameral · coalition · committees · speaker
civil society
Nongovernmental organized citizenry
- political partiesOrganized electoral coalitions
- grassrootsCommon people as political base
- activismDirect effort for reform
lobbying · petitions · town halls · public hearings · civic engagement · voter mobilization · canvassing · protests · free speech · assembly rights
campaigns
Organized efforts toward goals
- candidatesThose seeking selection
- ballotsVoting forms
- primariesIntraparty nomination contests
caucuses · debates · polls · turnout · electorate · nominees · platforms · endorsements · conventions · runoffs
representative democraciesautocracies
Governments by single rulers
dictatorships · totalitarian regimes · tyrannies · absolute monarchies · despotisms
representative democraciesdirect democracies
Systems where citizens legislate
representative, democracies, represent, democracy, representation, representations, representational, representativeness, representatives