The Main Features & Principles of Representative Democracy

The main features & principles of representative democracy

There are three key principles of representative democracy, based on the process through which representatives are chosen and removed. The first is that popular participation is indirect, meaning there is an electoral process to choose who will rule on the people's behalf. The second principle takes the form of mediated popular participation, whereby the people, that is, the population, are linked to government through representative institutions, in the UK these are called constitutions. The third principle states that popular participation is limited; people are restricted to voting every few years, making the process limited and brief.

Advantages of representative democracy Disadvantages of representative democracy

Representative democracy is a practical The limited nature of participation in a

solution to the problem of popular rule, representative democracy can lead to too much

as it is the only form of democracy that can voter apathy, and a lack of engagement. The

operate in large, modern societies compromise between the need for 'government

by the people' and 'government for the people'

Professional politicians are able to use their can prove itself to be too large, as critics argue,

superior understanding and expertise to at best it leads to voting becoming a form of

devote their time to politics, this benefits all 'democratic ritual' and at worst it benefits the

of society as time is more efficiently used government more than the people.

and significant progress in the public

interest is more likely to be made than in The principle of indirect participation is

a direct democracy. troublesome as society can become dependent on

self-interested, self-serving politicians, acting

The system of representative