Comparative Essay Sample: Direct Democracy vs. Representative Democracy

📌Category: Government, Politics
📌Words: 852
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 22 March 2022

The constitution's framers aimed to create a type of government that embodied their vision of liberty. They desired to establish a government that did not stifle their voices and ideas, as the tyrannical British rule had done. A system in which the people had a say and the central government had limited power. To choose a form of government that matched all of their ideals, the Framers had to understand what each type of government meant and how they differed.The distinction between direct democracy and representative democracy is how much governmental power the people have; the framers opted for a representative democracy, and the framers based the American government on their previous experiences under British rule as well as their personal desires.

Direct Democracy and Representative Democracy

First, the framers of the constitution desired a system in which citizens had a say in government decisions, but did not want it to become totalitarian. They were concerned that the majority's viewpoints would overshadow the opinions of minorities “The framers believed that citizens required a voice in their government but worried that the majority could become inflamed by a passionate issue or fiery demagogue and trample the rights of the minority. The framers’ fear of tyranny of the majority was not unfounded”(Patterson).The framers had to figure out what the differences were between direct and representative democracy. A direct democracy is a form of governance in which citizens, rather than elected officials, make all laws and policies. There are characteristics of a true direct democracy “In a true direct democracy, all laws, bills, and even court decisions are voted on by all citizens”(Longley, 2022)”. On the other hand, a representative democracy is a form of government in which individuals elect representatives to make and pass laws on their behalf. There are different terms for representative democracy “ Today, the terms democracy, republic, and representative government are often used interchangeably to refer to a system of government in which political power rests with the people through their ability to choose representatives in free fair elections”(Patterson). Direct democracy gives the people a lot more governmental power, but it also opens the door to totalitarianism. Their rights were preserved while their authority was restrained by representative democracy. Furthermore, there's no certainty that either government will be able to eradicate the risk of tyranny of the majority. In either case, the framers had to make a decision.

Representative Democracy

Next, the framers of the constitution opted for a representative democracy. They believed that, in comparison to a democratic government, this style of rule would considerably decrease the risk of tyranny. The Framers wanted a clear distinction between self-governance and government authority “Beard’s thesis has some truth to it, but the framers were not opposed to representative government. They sought to balance the need for self- government with the need for limited government. Convinced that unchecked majority rule could develop into tyranny, the framers devised institutions that were responsive to majority opinion without being captive to it”(Patterson). In other words, the framers picked a representative democracy because they believed that choosing a representative would allow citizens to feel as if they had a say and opinion in the government while also limiting the power of one party over the other. Their appointed officials, whom they elect, can represent their voices and thoughts.

Representative Democracy in the American Government

    Lastly, the founders attempted to construct a new American government by drawing on their previous experiences with British authority and representative democracy. The constitution's founders desired a strong national government that could address the nation's demands while also preserving citizens' liberties.To ensure this they added limitations to the national government’s power. They created grants of powers “powers granted to the national government; accordingly, powers not granted to it are denied unless necessary and proper to carry out granted powers”(Patterson). Denial of powers was also utilized by the framers to limit the government's ability to ban them from engaging in some tactics that European governments used to persecute their opponents. The founders aspired to apply the notion of French theorist Montesquieu of dividing the government into three branches. This concept is called separation of powers. Montesquieu argued that concentrating power in a single institution would be less effective than dividing it into three branches, each of which checks the other's powers and deals with multiple different issues. The framers used this to create a constitutional democratic republic. This system of government limits both the power of the citizens and national government “It is constitutional in its requirement that power gained through be exercised in accordance with law and with due respect for individual rights; democratic in its provisions for majority influence through elections; and a republic in its multiple institutions (presidency, congress, and the courts), each of which checks the power of the others”(Patterson). Therefore, the early Americans' experiences and the longing for freedom inspired the creation of this system of government.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the most significant distinction between a direct democracy and a representative democracy is the amount of power given to people. The framers chose representative democracy and incorporated it into the American government by drawing on early Americans' experiences and allowing their own aspirations to shape the constitution. The constitutional democratic republic was founded on these ideologies.

References

Longley, R. (2022, February 2). Direct Democracy: Definition, Examples, Pros and Cons. ThoughtCo. Retrieved February 27, 2022, from  https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-direct-democracy-3322038

Patterson, E.T. (2022). We The People: Introduction to American Government (14th ed.). Mc.

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