democracy in which people may participate directly in decision making processes rather than indirectly throught the election of representatives. See also: representative democracy philosophy the search for truth through reason, or for wisdom, by all means.
a system of government in which individuals and interest groups are involved directly in decision-making.
1. a system of governance by the people, for the people 2. archaic: our own system of governance
Democracy in its classic sense, as government of and by all the people. There is active, direct participation by all citizens in the authoritative allocation of values.
Citizens participate directly in the decisionmaking process, usually by voting. The vote is distinct from the public debate that precedes it and is the quintessential democratic act. Examples of participatory mechanisms include general elections, referendums and community-based partnerships.
Participatory democracy is a process emphasizing the broad involvement of constituents in the direction and operation of political systems. While etymological roots imply that all governments deserving the name "democracy" would rely on the participation of their citizens (the Greek demos and kratos combine to suggest that "the people rule"), traditional representative democracies tend to limit citizen participation to voting, leaving the main work of governance to a professional political elite. Participatory democracy strives to create opportunities for all members of a political group to make meaningful contributions to decisionmaking, and seeks to broaden the range of people who have access to such opportunities.
