symbol symÂ·bol (sÄ­m'bÉl) n. Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible. A printed or written sign used to represent an operation, an element, a quantity, or a relation, as in mathematics or chemistry.
Factual Reporting: HIGH. Notes: Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart (PVS), is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States.
The characteristic of a representative democracy is simply: People vote for representatives. Of course vote means a fair election where people have real choice. That makes America's system not a representative democracy. Our first-past-the-post voting system (also called plurality voting) often means you can't support your favorite candidate because it takes a vote away from the major-party candidate you prefer. Plus.