pure democracy

noun

plural pure democracies
: direct democracy
In a pure democracy, laws are simply made by the voting majority with the rights of the minority largely unprotected. In a republic, laws are made by representatives chosen by the people who must comply with a constitution that specifically protects the rights of the minority from the will of the majority.Jim Freedman
… the United States is a democratic republic—not a pure democracy. Instead of directly voting for the chief executive, states hold winner-take-all elections to see which "electors" will cast votes on behalf of the entire state …Christine Ravold and Michael Watson
The goal of representation, [Alexander] Hamilton, wrote, was not to mirror the infinity of private interests in the way a pure democracy would do, but to meld the contesting forces into the permanent and collective interests of the nation.Bernard Bailyn
compare representative democracy

Examples of pure democracy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Which is what a pure democracy is. House representatives and senators are now majority-elected. Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 14 Oct. 2024 Though hardly a pure democracy — a hereditary emir wields decisive authority — Kuwait has an independent and democratically elected 50-member National Assembly, whose powers are limited but real. Editorial Board, Washington Post, 18 June 2024 The thinking was, however, that the slow and deliberative process for enacting legislation in the new nation’s representative democracy — rather than pure democracy — would help dilute the impact of such factions. Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2024 Many political scientists don’t consider Turkey a pure democracy, largely because of the tremendous power exercised by the president and his ability to shape the political playing field before the vote. Ben Hubbard, BostonGlobe.com, 15 May 2023 The founders did not design the United States to be a pure democracy. David Leonhardt, New York Times, 17 Sep. 2022 Some suspicion of pure democracy is essential to conservatism. Ross Douthat New York Times, Star Tribune, 16 Mar. 2021 Since pure democracy and genuine authenticity are conditions that can only be reached for, never fully achieved, this was a formula for lifelong commitment. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2021 The United States of America is not a pure democracy but a constitutional republic. Star Tribune, 3 Nov. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pure democracy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pure democracy was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near pure democracy

Cite this Entry

“Pure democracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pure%20democracy. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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