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What is direct democracy?
I can explain what direct democracy is and explain its strengths and weaknesses.
Lesson 1 of 7
New
New
- Year 10
What is direct democracy?
I can explain what direct democracy is and explain its strengths and weaknesses.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Direct democracy allows citizens to participate directly in decisions.
- Direct democracy can happen through the use of referendums or types of citizens' initiatives.
- Direct democracy exists regularly in Switzerland.
- Some representative democracies occasionally use forms of direct democracy such as the UK, US and New Zealand.
- Direct democracy can be costly and timely due to running regular referendums.
Keywords
Direct democracy - where the people decide on the policy directly, for example, through a vote or referendum on each issue
Referendum - a general vote by the electorate on a single political issue which has been referred to them for a direct decision; it is a form of direct democracy
Common misconception
All democratic countries are governed in the same way.
Democracy takes many different forms including direct democracy and representative democracy. Some representative democracies even include forms of direct democracy.
Use real world examples of direct democracy such as referendums or initiatives to make direct democracy relatable and spark discussion.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is a key feature of a democratic system?
Which of the following is a key feature of a democratic system?
media censorship
military leadership
one-party rule
Q2.What does the Democracy Index measure?
What does the Democracy Index measure?
the country's economic growth
the size of a country's military
the number of political parties
Q3.Are all democracies across the world the same?
Are all democracies across the world the same?
Yes, they all follow the same rules and processes.
No, only a few countries are democratic.
Yes, they all use the same political parties.
Q4.Match the term to its correct description.
Match the term to its correct description.
Q5.In a country, the people have the power to participate in decision-making, either directly or through elected representatives.
In a country, the people have the power to participate in decision-making, either directly or through elected representatives.
Q6.Which of the following is a democratic feature?
Which of the following is a democratic feature?
government leaders are above the law
laws change regularly based on the preferences of the ruling party
citizens cannot challenge laws in the courts
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the best definition of direct democracy?
What is the best definition of direct democracy?
citizens elect representatives to make decisions
the Government decides without public input
the media chooses what laws are passed
Q2.Match each country to how it uses direct democracy.
Match each country to how it uses direct democracy.
Q3.A is a type of direct democracy where citizens vote on a single political issue.
A is a type of direct democracy where citizens vote on a single political issue.
Q4.Put the steps of a popular initiative in Switzerland into the correct order.
Put the steps of a popular initiative in Switzerland into the correct order.
Q5.Which of the following is true about democracies?
Which of the following is true about democracies?
All democracies use direct democracy all the time.
No democracy uses referendums as they are not democratic.
Only Switzerland is a democracy that uses direct methods.
Q6.Which of the following is a weakness of direct democracy?
Which of the following is a weakness of direct democracy?
It allows citizens to be directly involved.
It helps promote public participation.
It does not allow citizens to have a say in decisions.
