What system of government allows citizens to elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf?

In a representative democracy, citizens have the opportunity to elect representatives who are then tasked with making decisions and enacting laws on their behalf. This system allows for a structured form of governance where elected officials, chosen through voting, represent the interests and will of the populace.

The concept is built on the principle of accountability, where representatives must act in accordance with the preferences of their constituents to secure re-election. This contrasts sharply with direct democracy, where citizens participate in decision-making directly without intermediary representatives, and the broader concept of democracy where governance is subject to the will of the majority.

In comparison, a constitutional monarchy combines a hereditary monarchy with a constitution, where the monarch’s powers are limited by law, but this does not inherently involve decisions made directly by the citizens. An autocracy, on the other hand, is a system where absolute power resides with a single ruler or a small group, leaving little to no role for citizen participation or the election of representatives. Thus, the defining characteristic of a representative democracy is the elected representation, as citizens delegate authority to chosen officials to govern on their behalf.