Representative democracies

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In representative democracies we do not decide on major issues for ourselves but entrust that role to our elected representatives. To what extent can this system be blamed for the rise of political disillusionment in Australia and similar countries in recent years? To what extent can ‘populism’ be explained as a frustration with representative democracy, and what extent is it a reflection of other problems such as political instability or pessimism over Australia’s future?