Disadvantages Of Representative Democracy

Within representative democracies freedom of speech, of opinion and religion are factors which legitimate government must have. In this way the public are free to participate within politics and challenge their leaders, and while Madison feared the tyranny of the majority he saw great merit in allowing the public a voice. These freedoms are central to modern representative governments and can be evidenced by having opposing parties rather than single party and allowing non governmental groups to have a say. This differs to old systems in which speaking out against the monarch could result in being beheaded or such as the Soviet Union where the public were punished for disobeying the authority of the government often being dispatched with out of the public eye.

Even in modern China for example there are limitations on what its citizens have access to on the internet , in the Middle East breaking rules regarding codes of conduct or religious blasphemy can result in severe punishment or death .Within democracies to protect minority groups there are limitations when speech or opinion may incite hate and have a negative impact upon others freedoms and values.

The contrasting world of freedoms of speech, opinions and the press met in tragic circumstances when a number staff of the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo were shot dead for printing comical images of Allah. In a representative democracy the individual has the right to fair trial and punishment and while the attackers felt the retribution was legitimate within their socio-political sphere ,within a representative democracy like France it is

not.