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.

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direct democracy

Russians in the capital got a brief and rare taste of direct democracy on Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

But even by the standards of the state’s direct democracy process, the 2026 election stands out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

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

In this way they combined direct democracy with representative democracy.

From Lectures on the French Revolution by John Neville Figgis

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