​Democracies

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There are two forms of democracies:

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•Direct Democracy – Citizens (people) vote on all the issues. (*In early democracies, people voted individually on EVERY issue!)

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•Representative Democracy – Citizens elect representatives and give them the power to vote on issues.

​Representative Democracy

A representative democracy, also known as a republic, is a government where citizens elect representatives; citizens are involved through their representatives (voting)

​Representative Democracies

There are two main types of representative democracies:

​1) Parliamentary

​2) Presidential

​Parliamentary Democracy

​A parliamentary democracy is a system of government in which citizens elect representatives to a legislative parliament to make the necessary laws and decisions for the country. This parliament directly represents the people.

​Parliamentary Democracy

•Executive power is held by members of the legislature; (executive + legislative = one branch of government)

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•Prime minister (leader/chief of state), is elected by the legislature, NOT by the people

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•Head of state (ex. king or queen) as a ceremonial role, but the chief of state usually has the power (*Note: The head of state and the chief of state are 2 separate people!)

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Example: Israel

​Presidential Democracy

​Presidential Democracy – executive power is held by an individual (typically called a president) who is elected separately from the legislature.

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​So how does one distinguish between a true presidential democracy and a parliamentary democracy with a symbolic head of state called a president?

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After all they both have presidents! Ignore the titles. If the person who has the executive power is chosen by and is a member of the legislature, then it is a parliamentary democracy. If the person who has executive power is chosen directly by the people and is separate from the legislature, then it is a presidential democracy.

​Presidential and Parliamentary Governments

​What's the difference?

​What's the difference?