Direct democracy is a form of government in which the citizens collectively make the decisions for themselves instead of the traditional way in which the political affairs of the nation would be decided by elected or appointed representatives. Among the general descriptions of the education process or also known as the educative process is that it would simplify in carrying out the process of imparting the knowledge, skills, and values.
The practice and realisation of direct democracy in a nation would not be possible if there is no critical and effective awareness among the citizens of the country in practicing that form of government. The only way that the citizens would have critical and effective awareness of direct democracy in their country is through education, which is not just confined to the formal school system in the country. A vibrant and functioning direct democracy in a country is possible by carrying out the concepts and principles of the educative process.
So how could the education process contribute to the realisation of direct democracy as a form of government for a country? Historians have stated that in countries such as Switzerland and the United States where the direct democracy form of governments are practiced, the process of direct democracy did not occur in a few years or decades, it developed over a few hundred years.
The educative process of simplifying the process of imparting, transferring and acquiring of knowledge, skills and values were used as the basis for some of the principles or concepts that the citizens used in developing and improving direct democracy as a form of government. For example, direct voting by the people at the state and local levels in the U.S., during the late 18th century had many restrictions, but the spread of educational awareness for voting rights made universal voting available for all adults by the middle of the 20th century.
