2006-09-10 16:28:25 · 13 answers · asked by translatingthe_name 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
I have an assignment on the Rise of Democratic Ideas for World History and government is not one of my best subjects.
2006-09-10 16:39:45 · update #1
Generally:
In a democracy, everbody votes...and majority rules. Disadvantage is size, of course...once you get much bigger than a small town, elections are very complicated and take too long.
In a republic, usually the general public votes for representatives who then hold regular meetings and vote the wishes of their constituency. (At least in theory...votes are also influenced by money, etc.)
But there are lots of subtle variations at play here, and these are just "general" definitions...
2006-09-10 16:37:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Define Direct Democracy
2016-11-11 02:30:12 · answer #2 · answered by maritza 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Democracy is a method (the worst except for the others, some say) to choose governments and take Estate decisions.
Today is indirect everywhere: the people chooses representatives, who take the decisions. Used to be direct, in a very few cases, meaning that everybody (well, not everybody, not women or slaves) could take part in the discussion and decision. Imagine the mess.
Once chosen the authorities of an indirect democracy, you could have different methods to take decisions (or Government). You could democrately select a king, for example, for four years. He would decide everything. He would be kicked out at the end of the period.
But, if once elected you divide decisions in three different sectors: the executive (President, etc) the deliberative (Congress/Parliament) and legal (Supreme Court, judges, etc.) you create a control system called Republic.
To make it clear or add to the confusion I could say that you could elect a Republic authorities not by democracy but by age, or name, or by his Social Security Number...
So, in fact, democracy and republic refers to different matters.
Democracy to elect authorities via the vote of people.
Republic as a system of governement with several different independent authorities
2006-09-10 21:46:59 · answer #3 · answered by oldmarketeer 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Republic comes from the Latin, res publica, or public thing. It was the notion that government is a matter for governed. In a republic, representatives are chosen (often, as in U.S., by a democratic election), and those representatives, while responsible to their constituencies, are charged to used their best judgment in governance.
Democracy comes from the Greek, demos kratos, or people rule. While in ancients city states with small populations of "citizens" (usually only freeborn males), simple majority rule was possible, most ancient democracies gave way to some form of representative government or collapsed into some sort of tyranny.
Today, most western industrial nations are some combination of the two, representative democracies or democratic republics. Of course, since most of the old soviet block communist nations called themselves "democratic republics", that particular label is often abjured even by nations that should right be called such.
In the rhetoric of the U.S government, the exporting of "democracy" is often used synonymously with the exporting of a free market economies.
2006-09-10 16:44:18 · answer #4 · answered by Rico Toasterman JPA 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The United States is a republic. We elect officials who vote on laws. We do not vote on laws directly. In a direct democracy, all the laws are voted on directly by the people, not through representatives
2016-03-17 01:57:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
A republic is where a representative represents a bunch of people. Like, for America, there are two representatives for each state because we're a republic. A direct democracy is where the people directly make the laws.
2006-09-10 16:34:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A direct democracy will result in chaos and eventual a dictatorship. Democracy does not work anymore than communism works. An elected Republic has stood the test of time, and that form of government has been around for nearly 3000 years. Only Monarchys and Faith based governments have been around longer.
2006-09-10 16:35:58 · answer #7 · answered by wizard8100@sbcglobal.net 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
A direct democracy means every one meets and votes on the issue--think of ancient Greek cities such as Athens. A republic is needed when everyone clearly can not meet and vote on issues. The US is a republic because we can't all go to Congress and vote.
2006-09-10 16:45:08 · answer #8 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Direct democracy is basically majority rule
A Republic is a representative democracy with protection from the "tyranny of the majority".
2006-09-10 16:31:38 · answer #9 · answered by Eric H 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Direct democracies are suited to work in small groups in which everyone participates in decisions - think fourth grade and the decision is whether to play kickball during recess...
A republic is best suited for large populations dealing with complex issues - think US.
2006-09-10 16:33:29 · answer #10 · answered by farfrommensa 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋