 Representative democracy has been described as " a system of government where the people in free elections elect [ ] their representatives to the legislative chamber which occupies the most powerful position in the political system " . The meaning of the term was discussed in the Parliament of Singapore on 27 August 2008 upon a motion moved by Nominated Member of Parliament Thio Li @-@ ann , a professor of constitutional law at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law , for the House to affirm the importance of representative democracy and to call on the Government to amend the Parliamentary Elections Act to make the calling of by @-@ elections mandatory in Group Representation Constituencies ( GRCs ) in certain situations . According to Thio , under the view of representative democracy taken by the 18th @-@ century British Member of Parliament ( MP ) and philosopher Edmund Burke , " an MP is no mere delegate who simply mouths his constituents ' views . An MP is chosen for his ' mature judgment ' and ' enlightened conscience . ' " Thus , an MP " has to represent his constituents in tending to municipal affairs " , but also " be concerned with national affairs " , and , " as a party member , he must toe the party line " . In addition , an MP of a minority ethnic group in a GRC " has to carry the concerns of his particular minority community as well " . For this reason , she felt that if the seat of a minority MP in a GRC became vacant , it should be incumbent on the Government to call a by @-@ election to fill it . 
