Difference between Direct and Indirect Democracy

490 votes

Every country in the world depends on a certain form of government to make rules and regulations for them. Different types of the political system include dictatorship, autocracy, monarchy, democracy, communism, and socialism, amongst others.
 

What is Democracy?

A democracy can be stated as a rule of the people, by the people, and for the people. This definition further focuses on the fact that democracy has the potential to fulfil the aspirations and hopes of the people in a country.
 
In a democratic country, there is significant importance given to the voices of the people, while deciding on the issues pertaining to matters that are important to them.
 
Basically saying, democracy is nothing but the principle of sovereignty of the people. In a democracy, people run their government through their representatives.
 
Types of Democracy
Democracy can be distinguished into two types – direct and indirect.

1. In a direct democracy, people exercise their sovereignty and powers directly.

2. Whereas in an indirect democracy, people exercise their sovereignty and powers indirectly, through their chosen representatives.

3. In an indirect democracy, since the representatives have more power than the people, this type of democracy is also known as representative democracy.

4. In a direct democracy, the citizens are entitled to cast votes directly in the elections, and each citizen is only entitled to one vote. This type of election can be seen in class elections and other small organisational elections.

5. But in the case of indirect democracy, the citizens are only entitled to vote for a representative. This representative acts as a common voice to their opinions and goes on to vote on the issues.

6. Direct democracy is suitable for those countries where the population is low.

7. On the other hand, indirect democracy is suitable for those countries which have a larger population.

8. In the preamble of India’s constitution, democracy mentions not only political democracy but also mentions social and economic democracy. Social democracy is nothing but recognising the liberty, equality, and fraternity of the citizens. Economic democracy includes minimising inequality in the income of the citizens, increasing their status of living, reducing/alleviating poverty.
    

Devices of a Direct Democracy

There are four devices that can be found in a direct democracy. They are:

• Referendum: This means that a bill in the legislature is referred to the electorate and then is put to the vote. This means that the proposed bill is referred to the people of that state (electorate), and then the people will put their consent vote. If the bill gets the green light by the majority of the people, it is then passed.

• Initiative: Here, the people can propose a bill to the legislation. This means that people can take the ‘initiative’ to propose a bill.

• Recall: Here, the people have the right to remove their representatives, or an officer if s/he doesn’t do her/his duties as per the rules and regulations. Here recall means ‘calling back’. Hence by removing their representatives or the officer, the people are calling back.

• Plebiscite: Here, as a matter of public importance, the opinion of the people is asked.

• Switzerland is an example of direct democracy, where people have the ultimate power over the legislation. Whereas an example of indirect democracy is our country – India. In a country like India, direct democracy is not possible because of the large population.
   

Effects of Direct Democracy on Legislation

There are two ways in which direct democracy can affect the legislation of a state. Firstly the referendum and initiatives can significantly override the decisions that are made by politicians who are deceptive in nature. And secondly, the ultimatum of the people making a ballot proposition regulates the politicians who would otherwise hardly enact laws benefiting the people.
 
Direct democracy, in a way, tries to break the political parties coalition which is usually aimed against the common interest of the citizens of the state. It is also a way to safeguard citizens against excessive dirty politics that most representatives play. It can be seen as a mechanism for rectification for representative democracy.
 
In a direct democracy, the relation of the people with the political authorities changes. Most of the time, in states having a direct democracy, people are satisfied and happy with the governing of that state and the overall political process.
 

Principles of Direct Democracy

If the state has a sovereign voting population, then it should be able to alter the political decision if required, and keep updating the decision time and again.

Every state requires time to get in balance with direct democracy. So it is best if the implementation first takes place locally before moving to the national implementation of direct democracy.

In a direct democracy, every legislative action must be written down officially so that the chances of public manipulation are nil.
 

Indirect Democracy and its Advantages

The structure of an indirect democratic government enables the citizens to vote for an elected representative who can be the voice of their collective opinions, views, hopes and aspirations. So every time any kind of issue surfaces, the representative can vote on behalf of the entire community. This way, the voting process is simplified and made sure that each and everyone gets a representation in society.
 
In a representative democracy or an indirect democracy, the political structure remains in balance. The structure of the government also remains in check. This way, it makes sure that one group doesn’t gain more power than the other.
 
In an indirect democratic government, even though people lose the power of direct influence on the government, they are still allowed to voice their opinions if they are dissatisfied with the overall functioning of the elected representative. They can also vote to remove their representative from the elected power.
 
All the decisions are made by the elected official who looks into the needs and aspirations of all in the community. So the chances of the majority group getting more power than the minority are very less. Everyone benefits from the representation.
 
In an indirect democratic government, nobody is forced into voting for everything. In certain matters, the elected representative gets to make the decision for the entire community or state of people. This way, the decisions are made quicker and in a more effective and simplified way.
 
In case the elected representative is not meeting the demands of the people, they can use petitions to remove him/her from his/her elected seat.
 
Citizens, even though they are not taking part directly in the election process, their opinions are heard via letters and meetings, and conferences. These are held regularly to make sure that the elected representative is on the same page with his/her state of people.

LawRato LawRato

788 votes

Ethics means the science of a standard human conduct. The law consists of a set of rules and regulations, whereas Ethics comprises of guidelines and principles that inform people about how to live or how to behave in a particular situation. ... The law creates a legal binding, but ethics has no such binding on the people.

Advocate Anupam Kumar Mishra LawRato