A form of direct democracy associated with two dimensions of participation. Firstly, direct and unmediated participation of the people in government and legislation is considered as the basis of democracy. Athens and Plebeian Romans practiced it and Jean Jacques Rousseau in his The Social Contract advocated this form. J. S. Mill in his Considerations on Representative Government supports ‘a pure idea of democracy’ which he defines as ‘government of the whole people by the whole people, equally represented’.15 This means even if citizens do not participate directly, it must represent everyone and not only the majority. Secondly, radical democrats and New Left have emphasised that participatory democracy means participation of the people as individuals, groups and social movements. This requires two things: one, reduction of socioeconomic equality, and second, change in the image of human beings from mere consumers to exerters of rights and developers of capacities. Macpherson has insisted these two aspects as prerequisite for meaningful participatory democracy.
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