Direct Democracy - Advantages and disadvantages table in A Level and IB All

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Created by: Toby J
Created on: 09-09-23 13:26

Direct Democracy

Advantages

Gives equal weight to all votes, unlike a representative system where the varying sizes of constituencies mean that votes do not all have equal value
Encourages popular participation in politics by expecting people to take their duties as citizens seriously
Removes the need for trusted representatives, as people can take responsibility for their own decisions
Develops a sense of community and encourages genuine debate

Disadvantages

Impractical in a large, heavily populated modern state where decision-making is complicated
Many people will not want to - or feel qualified to - take part in decision-making, so political activists decide what happens
Open to manipulation by the cleverest and most articulate speakers, who will persuade people to support their viewpoint
Will of the majority is not mediated by parliamentary institutions, so minority viewpoints are disregarded

Evaluation

Overall, this system would not be practical as a regular means of decision-making in a large modern state as it does not include many safeguards for minorities.

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