Types of Democracy by Andrew Oforma Eze

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Types of Democracy
There are two main types of democracy.
These are:
1.Direct Democracy: This is the type of democracy where all eligible citizens are allowed to participate in decision-making directly without electing their representatives. Direct democracy is anchored on the majority representation. It is the type of democracy that was practiced in the ancient Igbo traditional society and that of Greek city-state of Athens.
2.Indirect Democracy: Another name for indirect democracy is representative democracy or modern democracy. Under this type, all qualified citizens elect their representatives into the parliament or other government positions who will make decisions on their behalf. In other words, it means that citizens are indirectly involved in decision making through their representatives unlike direct democracy where they (citizens) participate in the decision making directly. Representative democracy unlike direct democracy, reduced people to mere voters or electoral choosers instead of decision makers. That is the reason Roskin et al (1988:67) contend that “in modern world, democracy is no longer the direct determination of all government policy by the people.” They aptly enunciated the following as the essential ingredients of representative democracy:
1.Popular Support of Government
2.Political Competition
3.Popular Representative
4.Majority Rule
5.Right of Dissent and civil Disobedience
6.Political Equality
7.Popular Consultation

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