Direct Democracy Definition, Examples, Pros and Cons

Direct democracy, sometimes called pure democracy, is a form of democracy in which all laws and policies imposed by governments are determined by the people themselves, rather than by representatives who are elected by the people. In a true direct democracy, all laws, bills and even court decisions are voted on by all citizens. Direct vs. Representative Democracy Direct democracy is the opposite of the more common representative democracy, under which the people elect representatives who are empowered to create laws and policies for them. Ideally, the laws and policies enacted by the elected representatives should closely reflect the will of the majority of the people. While the United States, with the protections of its federal system of â€Å"checks and balances,† practices representative democracy, as embodied in the U.S. Congress and the state legislatures, two forms of limited direct democracy are practiced at the state and local level: ballot initiatives and binding referendums, and recall of elected officials. Ballot initiatives and referendums allow citizens to place – by petition – laws or spending measures typically considered by state and local legislative bodies on statewide or local ballots. Through successful ballot initiatives and referendums, citizens can create, amend or repeal laws, as well as amend state constitutions and local charters. Examples of Direct Democracy: Athens and Switzerland Perhaps the best example of direct democracy existed in ancient Athens, Greece.  While it excluded women, slaves, and immigrants from voting, Athenian direct democracy required all citizens to vote on all major issues of government. Even the verdict of every court case was determined by a vote of all the people. In the most prominent example in modern society, Switzerland practices a modified form of direct democracy under which any law enacted by the nation’s elected legislative branch can be vetoed by a vote of the general public. In addition, citizens can vote to require the national legislature to consider amendments to the Swiss constitution. Pros and Cons of Direct Democracy While the idea of having the ultimate say-so over the affairs of government might sound tempting, there are some good – and bad – aspects of direct democracy that need to be considered: 3 Pros of Direct Democracy Full Government Transparency: Without a doubt, no other form of democracy ensures a greater degree of openness and transparency between the people and their government. Discussions and debates on major issues are held in public. In addition, all successes or failures of the society can be credited to – or blamed on – the people, rather than the government.  More Government Accountability: By offering the people a direct and unmistakable voice through their votes, direct democracy demands a great level of accountability on the part of the government. The government cannot claim it was unaware of or unclear on the will of the people. Interference in the legislative process from partisan political parties and special interest groups are largely eliminated.Greater Citizen Cooperation: In theory at least, people are more likely to happily comply with laws they create themselves. Moreover, people who know that their opinions will make a difference, they more eager to take p art in the processes of government. 3 Cons of Direct Democracy We Might Never Decide: If every American citizen were expected to vote on every issue considered at every level of government, we might never decide on anything. Between all of the issues considered by local, state and federal governments, citizens could literally spend all day, every single day voting.Public Involvement Would Drop: Direct democracy best serves the interest of the people when most people take part in it. As the time required for debating and voting increases, public interest, and participation in the process would quickly decrease, leading to decisions which did not truly reflect the will of the majority. In the end, small groups of people often with dangerous axes to grind, could control the government.One Tense Situation After Another: In any society as large and diverse as that in the United States, what is the chance of that everyone will ever happily agree with or at least peacefully accept decisions on major issues? As recent history has shown, not much.

Relating to Life Struggles Portrayed in Tim OBriens The...

Relating to Life Struggles Portrayed in Tim OBriens The Things They Carried There are many things that I carry around with me in my daily life that I both need and dont need. Although, I carry many more positive things than I do negative, I know that they are there and how I must learn to use them is essential. Even if I dont carry around physical things like the soldiers in the story, I carry around the thoughts and images of my past and of the opinions and judgments of my future. Troubles that I dealt with as a teenager follow me into my present life now. Sure, we as teenagers made some stupid mistakes, but there are still a few of them that haunt me even to this day. I have learned that they will never disappear because of†¦show more content†¦Although I am half way there, after marrying my wonderful wife, there are still goals that Im striving for. Along side the goals, I carry fantasies that I would find pleasurable to attain. Unlike First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, I have learned that I must deal with real life first and then fantasize. Even thou gh the fantasies surface at peculiar times, I must learn to put them aside in order to attain my tangible goals. This is where Lt. Cross failed. He put his fantasies before the task at hand, the protection of his men, and a tragedy occurred when Ted Lavender was killed. When people let some of the negative things they carry interfere with reality, not only will it ravage someone else, but it will definitely afflict them. Lt. Cross will have to live, always knowing that his fantasies cost Lavender his life. How he deals with that tragedy will be important in his future. Will he let Lavenders death harm him more, by constantly suffering and then sink into a state of depression or will he learn from this mistake and remember it when he fantasizes again! That is what OBrien is wanting us to consider. Dealing with the things we carry can be a troublesome task but we must learn to deal with them in a way that will impact others around us in a positive manner and we can not let our fantasi es outweigh our reality, because harm then, will be inevitable. Tim OBriens short story

Analysis Of Snow Midsummer And Hroswit s Martyrdom Of...

Femininity is a concept whose attributes are contingent on the culture it is in—what one culture may consider typically feminine traits could largely vary from what another culture views as being feminine. While theater can sometimes subvert theses ideals and present women who function in ways that are not typically feminine, theater can often present idealistic representations of women who exemplify that culture’s ideals of femininity. Take, for example, the female characters in both Guan Hanqing’s Snow in Midsummer and Hroswit’s Martyrdom of the Holy Virgins. While both texts come from largely different cultural contexts—Snow in Midsummer was written in thirteenth century China for a general population whereas Martyrdom of the Holy Virgins was written in tenth century Germany as a closet drama—both texts have female protagonists whose rebellions exemplify feminine ideals of the respective cultures. In Snow in Midsummer, Dou E seems to be a figure that rebels against patriarchal pressures in that she refuses to be bullied by Zhang and his father. However, her rebellious attitude is deemed as gender-appropriate in this play because her rebellion is fueled by cultural ideals that relate to patriarchal power, rather than Dou E’s resistance being rooted in her own sense of empowerment. At first, Dou E’s resistance to Zhang seems as though it is based on her own personal preference to not marry Zhang. However, as Dou E begins to implore that her mother-in-law not marry Zhang’s

Voltaire free essay sample

This paper takes a look at the life and works of French writer Voltaire. This is a study of French writer Voltaire his life, works, ideas and thoughts. He is described as one of the most important writers in the French and Modern worlds. It provides an explanation of the historical context in which Voltaire lived and how this influenced the way he thought and wrote. Examples of his work are analyzed. From the paper: Voltaire ? the nom de plume that Francois-Marie Arouet ? is one of the most important writers both of the French language and of the modern world, for in his works he helped to define the progressive humanism that is an essential underpinning of modern life. He was in his time known for his principled and courageous stands against tyranny, bigotry, and cruelty of those who held power in society, and he wrapped these liberal ideals in writing that was eloquent, intelligent and often funny. We will write a custom essay sample on Voltaire or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This ability to be both fiercely progressive and charming at the same time have ensured his enduring place in the history of the West. He demonstrated both to those of his own time and to all of us who have come after him a sense of grace under pressure and the conviction that we can each better not only the conditions of our own lives but the lives of others as well.