Final answer:
Direct democracies allow citizens to vote directly on laws and policies, while representative democracies elect officials to make decisions on their behalf. The U.S. has elements of both but is primarily a representative democracy where representative governance also serves the purpose of protecting minority rights against majority dominance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The key differences between a direct democracy and a representative democracy center around how decisions are made and who makes those decisions. In a direct democracy, all eligible citizens have the direct power to make laws and vote on policies, exemplified by ancient Athens where male citizens could participate in the Assembly to vote on all matters. Contrastingly, a representative democracy, which describes the government system of the United States, involves citizens electing representatives who then make decisions and pass laws on their behalf. The U.S. uses elements of direct democracy occasionally, such as referendums and town meetings. Another difference is the practicality and scale of governance. Representative democracies, also known as republics, are suited for larger populations and territories because it is impractical for all citizens to gather and decide on every issue. Moreover, while a pure democracy operates on majority rule, a republic aims to protect minority rights against the potential tyranny of the majority, by way of elected representatives and checks and balances.