Final answer:
One disadvantage of direct democracy is that it can be manipulated by special interest groups and wealthy individuals. The requirement for voters to be well-informed can be challenging due to lack of time for extensive research, which may lead to misunderstandings or uninformed decisions.
Step-by-step explanation:
One disadvantage of direct democracy is that it can be manipulated. In a direct democracy, voters are expected to read and become informed to make smart decisions, but many citizens do not have the time to perform extensive research before voting. One disadvantage of direct democracy is that it can be manipulated by special interest groups and wealthy individuals.
The requirement for voters to be well-informed can be challenging due to lack of time for extensive research, which may lead to misunderstandings or uninformed decisions.
This opens the door for special interest groups and wealthy individuals to fund initiatives and referendums that serve their own personal projects or policy goals. Additionally, direct democracy can lead to bad policy if voters misunderstand or do not research the measures being proposed.