In a direct democracy, however, the individuals themselves vote on all of these issues, rather than electing a kind of middleman to do it for them. Simply put, in a representative democracy, individuals elect representatives to create and pass laws that are in line with the values they care about. When contrasting representative democracy with direct democracy, perhaps the most important distinction between the two is in the “representative” part of the first term. Contrasting Representative Democracy with Direct Democracy If, over the course of the next term, voters become dissatisfied with the jobs their elected officials have been doing, then the defining right of a representative democracy provides them with the option to elect someone new come next election day.
By electing these government officials, the people hope the officials will listen to those who have elected them, and pass laws that benefit society as a whole.
