How do direct and representative democracies differ?
A. in a direct democracy, people vote on issues themselves
B. in a direct democracy, elected politicians vote on issues
C. in a direct democracy, power is located in a central authority
D. in a direct democracy, people do not have civic duties
The correct answer is A. In a direct democracy, people vote on issues themselves. In a representative democracy, on the other hand, people elect politicians to vote on issues on their behalf.
The correct answer is A. In a direct democracy, people vote on issues themselves. In this type of democracy, the citizens have the power to make decisions directly through voting on laws and policies. Representative democracy, on the other hand, is where elected officials, who represent the citizens' interests, make decisions and vote on issues on behalf of the people.
To understand how direct and representative democracies differ, let's break down the options:
A. In a direct democracy, people vote on issues themselves: This statement is correct. In a direct democracy, all citizens have the opportunity to participate directly in decision-making by voting on issues themselves. This means that citizens have a more immediate and direct role in shaping policy and laws.
B. In a direct democracy, elected politicians vote on issues: This statement is not accurate. As mentioned before, in a direct democracy, people vote on issues themselves, so there is no need for elected politicians to vote on their behalf. Direct democracy places decision-making power directly in the hands of the citizens.
C. In a direct democracy, power is located in a central authority: This statement is incorrect. Direct democracy does not concentrate power in a central authority. Instead, power is distributed among the citizens, who have the ability to directly participate in decision-making processes.
D. In a direct democracy, people do not have civic duties: This statement is not true. In a direct democracy, citizens have civic duties such as actively participating in voting and engaging in public discourse. The emphasis is placed on the responsibility of citizens to actively contribute to the decision-making process.
Therefore, the correct answer is A. In a direct democracy, people vote on issues themselves. The key distinction between direct and representative democracy is that in a direct democracy, citizens directly participate in decision-making, while in a representative democracy, citizens elect representatives who make decisions on their behalf.