Читать книгу Political Science For Dummies - Marcus A. Stadelmann - Страница 86

Arriving on the scene first, direct democracy was practiced by the ancient Greeks and Romans. In a direct democracy, the citizens make all decisions themselves. In other words, citizens make policy. They gather on occasion in a large place and discuss and then vote on policies for the state. These policies can include laws or bureaucratic appointments. No politicians are elected because the citizens themselves make all decisions. Direct democracy has become rare. It still exists at the local level in New England and in countries like Switzerland.

A direct democracy is the most democratic form of government in existence. The people themselves make policy for their country. However, it’s tough, almost impossible, to have direct democracy in countries with large populations. The concept worked well in small city-states, such as Athens, or the Roman Republic. It would be unworkable in the U.S. Where would more than 150 million American citizens meet to make policy directly, and how could they ever agree on anything?