Citizens elect representatives who take decisions on their behalf.
Explanation
Democracy is broadly classified into two types: Direct Democracy and Indirect (Representative) Democracy. In a Representative Democracy, the ultimate sovereignty lies with the people, but the power to govern is exercised through elected officials.Option Analysis:
- Citizens participate directly in the drafting of all laws. is incorrect: Direct participation of citizens in the drafting and passing of laws is a feature of Direct Democracy. Tools for such participation include Referendum, Initiative, Recall, and Plebiscite. In a representative system, law-making is delegated to the legislature.
- Citizens elect representatives who take decisions on their behalf. is correct: The fundamental principle of Representative Democracy is that citizens elect representatives through a voting process. These representatives are entrusted to deliberate, legislate, and take decisions on behalf of the population.
- The head of the state nominates members to the legislature. is incorrect: While a legislature in a democracy may have a small number of nominated members, the system is defined by the election of representatives by the people. A system where the Head of State nominates the legislature is not a representative democracy.
- Representatives are appointed for a lifetime tenure. is incorrect: Representatives are elected for a fixed tenure (e.g., 5 years for the Lok Sabha in India). They must seek a fresh mandate from the people through periodic elections. Lifetime tenure is characteristic of non-democratic systems or specific non-political offices (such as the judiciary in some jurisdictions), not elected representatives.
Key Takeaway: Representative Democracy is characterized by indirect participation, where citizens delegate decision-making authority to representatives elected for a fixed term.