A discussion of the issues surrounding a representative versus a direct democracy. The essays begin by examining the views of the founders of the United States and the historical perspectives on its democracy and then debate issues such as polling, public opinion and the referendum process.

For more than two hundred years Americans have been debating how direct a democracy they want. Many hold that representative government too seldom reflects the people's real views, while others counter that direct popular voting will lead to excesses of passion and deficits of deliberation. In Democracy: How Direct? Elliot Abrams brings together eminent scholars to discuss the issues surrounding the dilemma of a representative versus direct democracy.