The form of governance where the people of a country have the right to engage with and decide on legislation directly is called direct democracy. In direct democracy, citizens participate personally in decision-making on laws and policies without intermediaries or elected representatives. This means that the electorate votes on policy initiatives, laws, and other government decisions themselves rather than delegating this authority to representatives
. Key features of direct democracy include:
- Citizens can propose laws (initiatives) and vote on them.
- Citizens can approve or reject laws passed by the legislature (referendums).
- Citizens may have the power to recall elected officials.
- Each citizen’s vote has equal weight in deciding legislation.
Direct democracy contrasts with representative democracy, where citizens elect officials to make decisions on their behalf. While direct democracy is rare at the national level today, elements of it exist in some countries and local governments, such as Switzerland and certain U.S. states, where referendums and initiatives are common
. In summary, direct democracy empowers people to directly engage with and decide on legislation, embodying the principle of "rule by the people" without intermediaries.
