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representative democracy

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

noun

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


Other Word Forms

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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 • Feb. 17, 2026

A few things are worth noting here, seeing as how California is supposed to be governed by a representative democracy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2025

Next time, he should consider learning how representative democracy works.

From Slate • May 31, 2025

Still, Hartmann said there is need for foundations across ideologies to support connecting people with one another and to the civic institutions that can create a more stable, representative democracy.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024

The French and the American revolutions both saw more or less tyrannical polities overtaken—at least on paper—by forms of representative democracy.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

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