Final answer:
Direct democracies allow citizens to directly vote on laws and policies, while representative democracies elect officials who then make decisions for the people. The United States mainly uses a representative democracy, but has elements of direct democracy through initiatives and referendums.
Step-by-step explanation:
The key distinction between direct democracy and representative democracy lies in how laws and decisions are made. In a direct democracy, citizens have the direct power to decide on policies and laws, engaging in the legislative process themselves. This was exemplified in ancient Athens, where all male citizens could attend the Assembly, debate, and vote on laws. However, this system is not prevalent in large, modern states due to its impracticality on a large scale.
By contrast, representative democracy, which is also known as a republic, involves the election of officials by the people, who then make laws and decisions on behalf of the citizenry. This is the form of democracy most commonly found in the modern world, including the United States, where citizens elect representatives to the Congress and other government positions. Despite this delegation of power, elements of direct democracy still exist in the US, such as ballot initiatives and referendums, where citizens can vote directly on specific issues.
Therefore, the difference lies in who is making the decisions: in direct democracies, the people do, whereas in representative democracies, elected officials make decisions on the people's behalf.