Final answer:
A direct democracy is where citizens are directly involved in decision-making for the government. Modern democracies typically practice representative democracy, but elements of direct democracy, like referendums and town meetings, allow for direct citizen participation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of democracy where citizens are involved in day-to-day government is known as a direct democracy. In a direct democracy, unlike representative democracy, people participate directly in making government decisions. For instance, ancient Athens is the most famous example of a direct democracy where all male citizens were permitted to attend Assembly meetings to debate and vote on all proposed laws. Modern examples of direct democracy are not as comprehensive, but elements still exist, such as referendums or town meetings, which allow citizens to vote directly on specific issues.
Current democracies, like the United States, mostly operate as representative democracies, in which individuals are elected to make decisions on behalf of the populace. However, forms of direct democracy can occur on local or statewide levels, allowing citizens to propose and pass laws concerning local towns or counties or vote on specific issues during state or local elections.
Another aspect of democracies is political participation, which includes various activities such as voting, running for office, and engaging in civic organizations, demonstrating the active role citizens take in shaping their government.