A government where people elect representatives, including a head executive, to make decisions on behalf of the public is called a representative democracy. In this system, citizens vote for politicians who then govern and make policy decisions on their behalf, rather than voting directly on laws and policies themselves

. The elected representatives typically form a legislature (such as a parliament or congress), and the head executive-often called the head of government-may be a president or prime minister depending on the system. For example, in a presidential system like the United States, the president serves as both head of government and head of state, managing daily government operations and enforcing laws. In parliamentary systems, such as the United Kingdom, the prime minister is the head of government responsible for policy decisions and government administration, while the head of state has a more ceremonial role

. Representative democracy is the most common form of democracy in modern states, allowing for practical governance by elected officials who are accountable to the voters through regular elections. It balances the need for citizen participation with the complexity of managing state affairs, often involving political parties and legislative bodies to represent diverse interests