Define the term democracy and discuss the differences between a representative and direct democracy. Include in your discussion the terms citizens and citizenship.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Correct answer varies but should include a definition of democracy as a political system in which people within a given state vote to choose their leaders and, in some cases, vote on legislation as well. In modern democracies, people vote to choose their legislators rather than managing their own political affairs and directly making decisions about the things that affect their lives. Nevertheless, contemporary theorists of democracy often suggest that the power to rule in democracies comes from the consent of the people. In representative democracies, the people, as a whole body, do not actually rule themselves but rather have some say in who will best represent them in the state. In direct democracies, by contrast, the people have a say in decisions that directly affect them. Democracies extend rights to citizens, the people represented by the state and most often born within its territories. Citizenship means that the people of a given state can vote for their representatives and that they have rights and responsibilities as citizens.