Noun
representative democracy (countable and uncountable, plural representative democracies)
(politics) A policy under the rule of people acting on the behalf of and, to a lesser extent, in the interests of the voting blocks by which they were elected.
Synonym: indirect democracy
Coordinate term: direct democracy
The strength of representative democracy is its ability to slow down those in power who wish to govern by blank cheque, but also those not in power who wish to yank the state about on the sole basis of their self-interest. John Ralston Saul
Being 'at the mercy of legislative majorities' is merely another way of describing the basic American plan: representative democracy. Robert Bork
We've gone from a representative democracy to a monarchy, and the most appalling thing is – even conservatives just hope like the dickens the next king is a good one. Ann Coulter
Congress ought to wipe the stain of barbaric lynching from the banners of a free and orderly representative democracy. Warren G. Harding
Representative democracy betrays the electorate when laws have no roots in the people but in oligarchies. Studies on the concept and modalities of direct democracy are therefore becoming more topical. Alfred de Zayas
There is not Communism or Marxism, but representative democracy and social justice in a well-planned economy. Fidel Castro