Understanding Direct Democracy

A system in which citizens make decisions directly, either individually or through assemblies
Examples: ancient Athens, Swiss cantons, some US states (e.g. California)
Methods:
- Referendums: citizens vote on specific laws or policies
- Initiatives: citizens propose laws or policies for a vote
- Recall elections: citizens can remove elected officials from office
Advantages:
- Increased citizen participation and engagement
- Direct accountability to citizens
Disadvantages:
- Can be time-consuming and expensive
- May not represent the views of all citizens (e.g. those who don't vote)

Methods of casting and counting votes in democratic elections
Types:
- First-past-the-post (FPTP): candidate with most votes wins
- Proportional representation (PR): seats allocated based on percentage of votes
- Ranked-choice voting (RCV): voters rank candidates in order of preference
Factors to consider:
- District boundaries and gerrymandering
- Voter turnout and access
- Ballot design and voting technology

Fundamental rights and freedoms inherent to all individuals
Includes:
- Civil and political rights (e.g. free speech, assembly, fair trial)
- Economic, social, and cultural rights (e.g. education, healthcare, fair labor conditions)
International agreements:
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
Importance in democracy:
- Protection of individual rights and freedoms
- Promotion of equal opportunities and social justice

System of government in which power is divided among separate branches
Three branches:
- Legislative: makes laws (e.g. Congress, Parliament)
- Executive: enforces laws (e.g. President, Prime Minister)
- Judicial: interprets laws (e.g. Supreme Court)
Purpose:
- Checks and balances: prevents any one branch from abusing power
- Promotion of accountability and transparency

System in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf
Characteristics:
- Citizens vote for representatives, rather than making decisions directly
- Representatives are accountable to citizens through regular elections
Advantages:
- Efficient decision-making process
- Representation of diverse views and interests
Disadvantages:
- Potential for representatives to ignore citizen preferences
- Risk of corruption and abuse of power

Citizens make decisions directly through individual votes or assemblies, examples include ancient Athens, Swiss cantons, and some US states like California
Methods of direct democracy include:
- Referendums, where citizens vote on specific laws or policies
- Initiatives, where citizens propose laws or policies for a vote
- Recall elections, where citizens can remove elected officials from office
Direct democracy offers advantages, including:
- Increased citizen participation and engagement
- Direct accountability to citizens
However, disadvantages include:
- Time-consuming and expensive processes
- Potential lack of representation for non-voters or minority groups

Voting systems determine how votes are cast and counted in democratic elections
Major types of voting systems include:
- First-past-the-post (FPTP), where the candidate with the most votes wins
- Proportional representation (PR), where seats are allocated based on percentage of votes
- Ranked-choice voting (RCV), where voters rank candidates in order of preference
Important factors to consider in voting systems include:
- District boundaries and gerrymandering
- Voter turnout and access
- Ballot design and voting technology

Human rights are fundamental rights and freedoms inherent to all individuals
These rights include:
- Civil and political rights, such as free speech, assembly, and fair trial
- Economic, social, and cultural rights, including education, healthcare, and fair labor conditions
International agreements on human rights include:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966)
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966)
Human rights are essential in democracy, as they:
- Protect individual rights and freedoms
- Promote equal opportunities and social justice

The system of separation of powers divides government authority among three branches
The three branches are:
- Legislative, which makes laws (e.g. Congress, Parliament)
- Executive, which enforces laws (e.g. President, Prime Minister)
- Judicial, which interprets laws (e.g. Supreme Court)
The purpose of separation of powers is to:
- Establish checks and balances, preventing any one branch from abusing power
- Promote accountability and transparency in government

In representative democracy, citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf
Characteristics of representative democracy include:
- Citizens vote for representatives, rather than making decisions directly
- Representatives are accountable to citizens through regular elections
Advantages of representative democracy include:
- Efficient decision-making processes
- Representation of diverse views and interests
However, disadvantages include:
- Potential for representatives to ignore citizen preferences
- Risk of corruption and abuse of power