Some people prefer to restrict democracy to mean majority rule by the people, without using elected representatives. That is the definition of direct democracy. In a direct democracy, everyone is entitled to propose policy options and vote on those proposals. The proposals with the most votes become law.
The reference to direct democracy is often used by those who fear the unchecked tyranny of any majority of people. Direct democracy is difficult to achieve at national scales. An alternative is to use representative democracy.
Learn More:
See our short course “America: Republic or Democracy.”
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