Representation and Direct Democracy: The Influence of Initiatives and Referendums

Abstract

The Greek form of democracy and the Roman Republic served as the ancient framework from which American democracy emerged. However, American democracy has not remained stagnant throughout America's brief history. In fact, in many ways, American democracy has gradually moved toward more of a direct democracy and less of a representative republic. The American regime has become increasingly a direct democracy through the use of initiatives and referendums. Representative democracy was created to best suit America, but direct democracy has a critical role in further legitimizing representation by increasing the voice of the people. Deliberation is a critical aspect of representation and I call into question how deliberation is used. Does transparency assist representatives in making more appropriate decisions or does transparency inhibit the crucial dialogue necessary for representation to be truly representative?