Representative democracy

About
Representative democracy (RD) is a system of government in which citizens elect representatives to make policy decisions – as opposed to direct democracy, where citizens vote directly on such decisions.


 * Advantages:
 * Decisionmakers can be provided with adequate resources (time, assistance, expertise) for making good decisions.
 * Meaningful debate and consensus are theoretically possible, given the smaller number of negotiators.
 * Disadvantages:
 * RD creates unaccountable concentration of power in a number of ways:
 * Traditional forms of RD usually have set terms for each representative and a very high bar for recall (i.e. removal from office by popular initiative), giving them a large window during which they may do damage.
 * Traditional electoral methods:
 * support the creation and continuance of a two-party system, greatly narrowing the field of available candidates.
 * do not represent the wishes of the voters very accurately, often resulting in the election of "compromise" candidates strongly disliked by a majority.
 * can be manipulated by the powerful in a number of ways, including and mass-media propaganda (advertising).

Solutions

 * Liquid representation attempts to address the problems inherent in RD without creating the problems inherent in DD.
 * Range voting increases vote fidelity, making it more difficult to manipulate the vote and providing less stability for a two-party system.
 * Having representatives deliberate online, so that they didn't need to travel long distances when elected, would reduce the need for long terms of office.
 * Having such deliberations take place solely in text mode would also provide a searchable record of such deliberation, making it easier to hold representatives accountable.
 * Structured debate would rigorously document the logic (if any) behind each position, further ensuring accountability.