Categories of democracy : Direct and Indirect democracy

DIRECT DEMOCRACY :

In a direct democracy, all citizens, without the intermediary of elected or appointed officials, can participate in making public decisions. Such a system is clearly only practical with relatively small numbers of people in a community organization to tribal council, for example, or the local unit of a labor union, where members can meet in a single room to discuss issues and arrive at decisions by consensus or majority vote.

Ancient Athens, the world's first democracy, managed to practice direct democracy with an assembly of as many as 5,000 to 6,000 persons. In Switzerland direct democracy is followed even at the national level.

INDIRECT DEMOCRACY :

Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or though freely chosen representatives.

The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this shall be expressed in periodic and genuine election that shall be held by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or the equivalent free voting procedures.

India is the best example of a representative democracy. Voting is one of the mechanisms that guides a democratic state and keeps its leaders on track, and it serves to let the leadership know how they have performed.

During elections, citizens vote for the candidate for their choice. Elected leader represent 'the people' and govern for a set period of office. Representatives are chosen through elections based on the constituency or proportional representation system, or on a combination of the two.