representative democracy

American  

[rep-ri-zent-uh-tiv-di-mahk-ruh-see] / ˌrɛp rɪˈzɛnt ə tɪv dɪˈmɑk rə si /

noun

plural

representative democracies

1. a political system in which the people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf in a governing body.

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Other Word Forms

• unrepresentative democracy noun

Example Sentences

That makes the rich especially valuable in a representative democracy like the U.S., where policy is normally shaped by the play of public opinion, competition among interest groups and the weight of a permanent bureaucracy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Our research has shown that people around the globe think representative democracy is a good system of government.

From Salon

The Nobel Peace Prize, he said, “serves as an example for all those nations in Latin America that still lack a lasting and representative democracy.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“NJEA is a member-led union that operates as a representative democracy,” said union spokesman Steve Baker in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The concern for the public and for representative democracy is that you’re going to have a lot of tit for tat moving forward,” Skelley told Salon.

From Salon