direct democracy

noun

plural direct democracies

: democracy in which the power is exercised directly by the people rather than through representatives : a form of government in which the people vote directly against or in favor of decisions, policies, laws, etc.

First, the United States is not a direct democracy and, as such, citizens do not make decisions themselves, [Professor Harry] Wilson writes. Instead, the power to make laws lies in the hands of their elected representatives in Congress.

—Matt Williams

also : a country, state, or territory whose form of government is direct democracy compare representative democracy

Examples of direct democracy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But other forms of democracy — direct democracy (initiative and referenda), participatory democracy (as in budgeting), deliberative democracy (like citizen assemblies) and digital democracy (platforms like Pol.is and Decidim) — are growing, especially locally. —Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined above