direct democracy

American

[di-rekt di-mah-kruh-see, dahy-rekt] / dɪˈrɛkt dɪˈmɑ krə si, daɪˈrɛkt /

noun

government with direct rule by the people, without the involvement of elected representatives.

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

direct democracy

Switzerland's system of direct democracy means all major decisions are taken via the ballot box.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

Opinion polls suggest that both votes, put forward under Switzerland's direct democracy system, could be tight.

From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026

There can be issues with direct democracy, as Sean Morales-Doyle of the Brennan Center for Justice pointed out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2025

More to the point, not every state has direct democracy of the kind that has propelled ballot measures to date.

From Slate ● Nov. 8, 2024

Is not that a reductio ad absurdum for this system of pure and direct democracy?

From Ethics in Service by Taft, William H.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023