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Difficulty: EasyDemocracy

Which of the following fundamental features distinguishes direct democracy from representative democracy?

  1. Direct participation of citizens in policy decisions and law-making without elected intermediariesAnswer
  2. B
    Delegation of law-making power to elected parliamentary representatives
  3. C
    Enforcement of governmental decisions through executive military commands
  4. D
    Exercise of judicial review to invalidate unconstitutional statutory enactments

Answer

Direct participation of citizens in policy decisions and law-making without elected intermediaries
Direct democracy is distinguished by the immediate and personal participation of citizens in formulating policy and enacting laws, such as through referendums and town meetings, without choosing political representatives to act on their behalf.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the defining core mechanism of direct democracy.
Direct democracy is characterized by citizens exercising political power personally through referendums, initiatives, and town hall assemblies.
Unlike representative democracy where citizens elect officials to make decisions on their behalf, direct democracy eliminates intermediaries in the legislative process.
2
Compare this feature against representative democracy systems.
Delegating law-making to elected delegates is representative, while direct voting on policies by all eligible citizens is direct democracy.
This structural distinction is the primary line of differentiation between direct and indirect variants of democracy.

Key Concept

Direct Democracy vs Representative Democracy
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Democracy

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