representative government
/ˌrɛprɛzənˈtɑːtɪv ˈɡɒvərnmənt/ · re·pre·sen·ta·tive gov·er·nment
noun
- A system of government in which the people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. The representative government of the United States is based on a democratic system where citizens vote for their representatives in Congress.
noun
- A form of government in which the representatives are chosen to represent the interests of a particular group or class of people. The representative government of the medieval guilds gave power to the merchants and artisans who made up the guilds.
Synonyms
democratic governmentparliamentary systemrepublican governmentelective governmentrepresentative democracy
Antonyms
Did you know? The concept of representative government has its roots in ancient Athens, where citizens would elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf, as described in the works of Aristotle.