Representative democracy and constitutional oder as a guaranty of respect of human

rights.

Representative democracy is a type of democracy in which the citizens of the state

exercise their popular sovereignty through legitimately elected representatives. In a
representative democracy, the citizens choose their representatives by voting in elections.
Typically the chosen representatives then congregate in a legislative assembly where they debate
policy and determine legislation. Such representative democracy is often contrasted with more
direct or participatory forms of democracy in which citizens play an active role in the decision-
making process.
The classical theory of representative democracy suggests that the representatives should
act in accordance with the will or interests of the citizens.  The foundations of the right to
participation are shaped by the possibility of any individual to be involved in decision-making
which affects her/his interests. Everyone should be able to participate in society, to defend
her/his interests, to help create a society, which also fulfils her/his interests and desires. The
freedom to vote and stand for elections and the freedoms of association and assembly are the
major political expressions of such participation. These rights form the bases for any
representative, democratic process and active civil society, and ensure that public affairs are truly
public. The right to participation in government is also intricately linked with other rights, such
as the right to education and the right to freedom of conscience and religion.
The concept of participation is broader than the right to vote or the freedom of
association. It entails the notion that all citizens should be involved in decision-making processes
that affect them. Moreover, participation is at the core of a human rights based approach to
development and to poverty reduction where the poor must be considered as the principal actors
and strategic partners for development.
A representative democracy is an indirect democracy where sovereignty is held by the
people's representatives.
In a representative democracy, the people elect officials to create and vote on laws,
policies, and other matters of government on their behalf. In this manner, representative
democracy is the opposite of direct democracy, in which the people themselves vote on every
law or policy considered at every level of government. Representative democracy is typically
employed in larger countries where the sheer number of citizens involved would make direct
democracy unmanageable.
Representative democracy is the most prevalent form of government. As such, it has both
advantages and disadvantages to the government and the people. A single elected official

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represents the desires of a large number of people. In the United States, for example, just two
U.S. Senators represent all of the people in their states.
By conducting a limited number of national elections, countries with representative
democracies save time and money, which can then be devoted to other public needs. The people
of each of the country’s political subdivisions (state, district, region, etc.) choose the
representatives who will make their voices heard by the national government. Should those
representatives fail to meet the expectations of their constituents, the voters can replace them in
the next election.
When people are confident that they have a say in their government's decisions, they are
more likely to remain aware of issues affecting their country and to vote as a way of making
their opinions on those issues heard.
So, a representative democracy is a system of government in which all eligible citizens
vote on representatives to pass laws for them. A perfect example is the U.S., where we elect a
president and members of the Congress. We also elect local and state officials. All of these
elected officials supposedly listen to the populace and do what's best for the nation, state or
jurisdiction as a whole. For a representative democracy to work, there are several conditions that
have to be met. First, there has to be an opportunity for genuine competition in the selection of
leadership (if people think that elections are rigged, or predetermined, there can be no
meaningfully honest competition). Second, there has to be free communication, both among the
people and in the press. Third, voters have to believe that a meaningful choice exists between
candidates and that differences in policy are honestly reflected in each. The degree to which
these three factors are present go a long way to determining the effectiveness of a representative
democracy.
Representative democracies are much more common, and much more varied, than direct
democracies today. Overall, democracies differ from each other in the way that they elect and
appoint officials and how their governments are structured. The U.S., of course, is one of the
oldest and most stable representative democracies in the world. The U.S. is a federal republic in
which a large central government co-exists with smaller state governments.
Democracy as a political system guaranteeing fundamental individual rights and
freedoms by the Constitution. As important as the constitutional and international protection of
fundamental individual rights and freedoms is, it is not sufficient to ensure effective democracy
in the sense of democracy as a form of society. Democracy as a form of society goes beyond the
sum of individual rights and implies not only delegating and taking decisions but also debating,
participating in the conduct of public affairs and living together in dignity, respect, trust and
solidarity.
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 Representative democracy has suffered for some time now from growing citizen’s
dissatisfaction and mistrust, as witnessed by low election turn-outs, a disinterest in current
institutionalised procedures and a rise of populist and extremist movements. It, has recently been
one of the main victims of the global economic and financial, but also social crisis.
Austerity measures, imposed by governments through international negotiation
mechanisms, with limited parliamentary control and practically no citizens’ participation, have
bred distrust among the public, especially the young. It is thus more urgent than ever to look
carefully at the second aspect of democracy, as a form of society, beyond the traditional forms of
mandates and delegation, with which fewer and fewer citizens seem to be satisfied, to regain
their trust.
Representative democracy – parliaments – must remain at the heart of governance.
However, there is a need to establish, in addition, forms of interaction between citizens and those
who govern them. This is necessary to include, in a carefully designed manner, direct democratic
elements in the decision-making process.
Representative democracy cannot just be achieved through institutions, but by building
public meeting places. Democracy should not be seen as a matter only of delegating and taking
decisions but also of discussing and living together in dignity, respect, trust and solidarity.
Citizen-based participatory democracy should be perceived as an on-going
communicative process as more and more people become involved in public affairs and thus
regain trust in politics. Participatory democracy is therefore more closely linked to the idea of
association, deliberation, information, accountability and transparency on the part of those who
govern. In a truly participatory and deliberative democracy, the point of view and interests of
disadvantaged or vulnerable groups must also be taken into account in the decision-making
process, itself based on open public debate. The idea is that if all citizens are deemed liable to
pay taxes, they should all also be deemed capable of taking part in public affairs and decision-
making and of holding their representatives and rulers to account.
Recently, the capacity for political participation has increased remarkably. Networks and
blogs on the Internet provide growing opportunities for millions of people, including for political
communication on the local, national and transnational levels. In addition, more concepts are
being practised to develop innovations, mediating conflicts and finding compromises. This may
support the extension of civil society groups and decentralised self-government.
The United States is a representative democracy. This means that our government is
elected by citizens. Here, citizens vote for their government officials. These officials represent
the citizens’ ideas and concerns in government. Voting is one way to participate in our
democracy. Citizens can also contact their officials when they want to support or change a law.
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Voting in an election and contacting our elected officials are two ways that Americans can
participate in their democracy.

Voting is one important right and responsibility of U.S. citizens. Another right of all
citizens is running for federal office. Many naturalized citizens are elected to federal office.
However, to be president or vice president, you must be a natural-born United States citizen. One
responsibility of all citizens is to serve on a jury. This means that you can help decide the result
of a court case. Only citizens can serve on a jury.
În conclusion, why is it effective representative democracy?. Staggered executive and
legislative elections and electoral terms of varying lengths ensured an appropriate level of
democratic participation while guarding the nation against extreme shifts in the mood of the
people. With a third of the Senate selected at each election of the House of Representatives, and
the President chosen every other election, extreme popular movements tend not to translate
directly into extreme political power. The two-year terms in the House enables the voice of the
people to translate regularly into political power. The resulting political stability has engendered
unparalleled economic development and helped drive us to world leadership.