Reference no: EM133716676

Question: A democracy is characterized as a system of governance in which the people hold the political power. The people have power over authorities, organizations, laws, and other things. Direct democracy and representative democracy are the two different forms of democracy. Direct democracy and representative democracy are two well-known models of democratic governance. Although they both aim to preserve the values of public participation and decision-making, their methods are very different. A practice frequently seen in smaller communities or organizations called direct democracy allows all citizens to actively participate in the creation of laws and policies. On the other hand, representative democracy, which is more prevalent in larger, more diverse societies, involves the election of representatives to represent the people in decision-making processes. Comprehending the unique attributes and reasoning underlying every type of democracy illuminates the diverse methods of group decision-making employed in contemporary political frameworks. It was clear to the US framers that they desired a representative democracy. The framers of the United States favored a representative democracy for the new America. Aristotle's early ideas of a "city-state" can be seen in present-day government in the concept of local governance. Aristotle's theories of government had a great influence on the framers, and this can be observed in modern governance. In Aristotle's city-state, citizens were directly involved in the administration of their community. This is similar to how local governments operate today, with citizens electing local officials and participating in local decision-making. Aristotle's idea that the best form of government is one that serves the common good can also be seen in the principles of many modern democracies. The most accurate description of American government is that of a republic, or representative democracy. A democracy is a form of government where the people themselves hold political power, which includes influence over institutions, decision-makers, and policies. However, in a representative democracy, the people are not in direct control. Rather, they choose representatives to act as a collective voice and enact laws. In order to represent them, American citizens cast ballots for representatives in Congress, the president and vice president, state legislators, governors, mayors, town council members, and school board members. The majority of representative governments support majority rule, which gives the views of the majority of the population greater clout in decision-making than those of the minority. A proposed law will become law if there are more elected representatives in favor of it than against it. Minority rights, on the other hand, are safeguarded in representative democracies like the US; people cannot be denied rights even though a resounding majority of people believe they ought to be. In the textbook American Government 3e by we are given the example where American society decided that individuals who deny the existence of God, or atheists, were wicked and ought to be put in jail or banished from the nation. Atheists would be protected under minority rights even though they make up only 7% of the population. The minority is protected even when the amount of Americans who believe in God far outweighs the who do not (Krutz 12-13) In a representative democracy like the United States, where decisions are made by majority rule, voicing your opinions and casting your vote for the men and women who make the decisions that impact all of us are essential and significant forms of civic engagement (Krutz 12). Unlike representative democracies, direct democracies allow citizens to participate in the decision-making process of the government actively.