Representative democracies

Definition

Representative democracies are political systems where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. These elected officials are responsible for creating laws and policies that reflect the interests of the people they represent.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. In representative democracies, apportionment determines how many representatives each region or state receives based on population.
2. The standard divisor is calculated by dividing the total population by the number of available seats in a legislative body.
3. Standard quotas indicate the exact fractional number of seats each region should have before rounding to whole numbers.
4. The apportionment problem arises when converting these fractional quotas into whole seats, often leading to debates over fairness and representation.
5. Common methods for resolving apportionment issues include Hamilton's method, Jefferson's method, and Webster's method.

Review Questions

• What is the standard divisor in the context of apportionment?
• How do standard quotas relate to representative democracies?
• Name at least two methods used to resolve the apportionment problem.

Related terms

Standard Divisor: A value obtained by dividing the total population by the number of available seats in a legislative body.

Standard Quota: The exact fractional number of seats each region should receive based on its population.

Apportionment Problem: The challenge of converting fractional quotas into whole numbers while ensuring fair representation.