What is excessive democracy?

It can be argued that pure democracy, the vote of each citizen on every issue affecting everyone, is excessive. Except for in small groups, there has never been a pure democracy governing a state. Ancient Athens was not a pure democracy as non-land holders and women could not vote, yet it was the closest any nation had ever come to it.

The problems of a pure democracy become evident as a majority can vote to restrict or eliminate rights of a minority, evident with passage of "Jim Crow" laws following the US Civil War restricting rights of freed men, not all former slaves.

Another problem would be the ability to consult each and every citizen in the passage of laws for each and every law, slowing the process greatly.

A representative democracy, or republic, speeds this ability, and with checks and balances built in, protects the rights of individuals and minorities.