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Technology

Representative vs. Participatory Democracy: Trade-offs and Hybrid Models

Quick fact

In most democracies, citizens vote only every few years, yet thousands of decisions are made daily. Participatory budgeting, pioneered in Brazil in 1989, has spread to over 1,500 cities worldwide, giving citizens direct control over how public funds are spent.

Why this is interesting

We often say democracy means 'rule by the people,' but when you vote for a representative, are you really ruling? Or is that just a proxy for something deeper?