Anna lives in a direct democracy. what does that mean? A She will be brought up on charges if she does not vote. B As a citizen, she is a member of the government and sits in Congress. C She votes for representatives who decide on the issues and laws. D She personally votes on every issue and law.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is D: She personally votes on every issue and law.
In a direct democracy, citizens have the direct power to vote on laws, policies, and major decisions, rather than electing representatives to make these decisions on their behalf. This form of government is in contrast to representative democracy, where citizens elect officials to make decisions for them.
In a direct democracy, everyone in the society has an equal say in the decision-making process. This is often feasible in smaller communities or for specific issues where widespread participation is manageable. For example, in Switzerland, certain political decisions are made through referendums where the citizens vote directly on laws and constitutional amendments.
The key feature of direct democracy is the active participation of all citizens in the decision-making process. This can happen through various mechanisms such as:
- Referendums where the public votes on a specific issue.
- Initiatives where citizens can propose new laws or changes to existing laws.
- Recalls which allow voters to remove public officials from office before their term ends.
However, implementing direct democracy on a large scale, such as at the national level in large countries, can be difficult due to the complexity of issues and the sheer number of decisions that need to be made. That’s why most countries operate under representative democracy where citizens elect leaders to make decisions on their behalf.
In a direct democracy, Anna would be expected to participate in every vote on all laws, policies, and decisions affecting her society. Therefore, her involvement is direct and personal rather than through elected representatives.
