Direct Democracy Vs Representative Democracy Essay

Direct Democracy vs Representative Democracy The term Democracy is derived from two Greek words, demos, meaning people, and kratos, meaning rule. These two words form the word democracy which means rule by the people. Aristotle, and other ancient Greek political philosophers, used the phrase, `the governors are to be the governed, or as we have come to know it, `rule and be ruled in turn. The two major types of democracy are Representative Democracy and Direct Democracy. Clearly the arguments for and against each form of democracy are plentiful. However, it is my belief that theoretically, Direct Democracy is the superior form of political rule. Due to problems with in the direct democratic system, its use as a practical†¦show more content†¦It is not even thinkable that all citizens will agree on what good is. Rousseau recognized this and accepted a term of majority rule. Those who voted against a policy which is found to be the best for the general, must have been thinking of personal gains, rather than the gains of the entire society. The feature which distinguishes direct democracy from other forms of government is the idea of agreement and the key to agreement is discussion. It is impossible to reach an agreement without discussion, because it is not right to think that everybody will have the same opinion on all matters. But, it is very possible, that through discussion an agreement could be reached by all members. Representation, on the other hand allows a select few to make decisions in their own best interest, which is not necessarily the best interest of the society. However, direct democracy is not the perfect method to produce a union of the community. For a direct democracy to work, face to face communication between all members of the community is needed. The only way this is possible is to meet in large groups. Due to the fear of high tension, many citizens will not participate in these large group meeting. So in order for these fearful people to voice their opinions they must get together in smaller, less tensions groups, where they are not as timid to say as they wish to see happen. A direct democracy can only work in a small group, so as a form of government for anShow MoreRelatedEssay on Direct Democracy vs Representative Democracy954 Words   |  4 PagesDirect Democracy vs Representative Democracy The term Democracy is derived from two Greek words, demos, meaning people, and kratos, meaning rule. These two words form the word democracy which means rule by the people. Aristotle, and other ancient Greek political philosophers, used the phrase, `the governors are to be the governed, or as we have come to know it, `rule and be ruled in turn. The two major types of democracy are Representative Democracy and Direct Democracy. 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