Athenian democracy

Through trial and error and over many decades different forms of government were tried in Greece. In my opinion, Democracy was the best form of government because it is something that is still used today even in our own country. Cleisthenes an aristocrat that came to power after the death of Pisistratus the Tyrant was responsible for instituting his vision of democracy to the Athenian people (59). First developed by Solon and solidified by Cleisthenes himself during his tenure. The people of…

famous being democracy which originated from one of the most prominent and influential city-states known as Athens. Other forms of government in Ancient Greek city states included oligarchy, tyranny, aristocracy and monarchy. I will begin by looking at the definitions of each of these forms of government. Democracy can be defined as “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives”. The word democracy originates…

Comparing Athenian Democracy and Modern US Democracy Jason Rochon History 2321: World Civilizations I May 25, 2016 As man progressed from a nomadic lifestyle into a more urban lifestyle, the need for some sort of structure arose. With cities forming and urban populations increasing, the need for law and order grew. Early civilizations developed varying forms of government to address the rising needs of urban city life. Of these forms of government, democracy is one that has endured…

The Athenian government consists of a Democratic government. In theory, a Democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Taken from that theory of the Athenian Democracy, the “people” referred to men over the age of 18 who were born from Athenian parents. Men ruled the government, where they were able to vote and make political decisions regarding the country. Women, foreigners and slaves were not allowed to participate in the government at all. The United States…

Winston Churchill has been quoted, “…Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” If democracy is the best of the worst alternatives, why do the majority of countries in the western hemisphere have a democratic system? Isn’t there a better choice out there that would benefit people? And because democracy is governed by the people, what makes the average citizen participate in government and what influences them to vote? Democracy originated in Athens,…

Greek democracy is different from contemporary democracy, but the overall idea is similar. “Democracy is a form of government that gives power to the people” (“What Is a Democracy?”). In Athens, they had a direct democracy. Today, we have a representative democracy. In both democracies, the people ultimately have the power. Athenian democracy is different than contemporary democracy because it is exclusive, while contemporary allows more people to have a say, and Athenian officials are chosen…

Ancient Athenian democracy is often considered the forerunner to modern democracies in the west. Built upon the concepts of equality and liberty, Athenian democracy was a radical break from the oligarchic styles of government that dominated the Classical age of Greece. However, for all its supposed equality, two notable groups of people were excluded from participating in democratic government. Women and slaves were still second class in the eyes of the Athenian democracy. They possessed no…

“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard,” this favorable quote was said by Henry Louis Mencken. H.L Mencken was a German-American journalist who lived from 1800-1956. A strong believer in democracy, H.L Mencken thought if the people are set to achieve a goal, democracy is the best option. Democracy in Athens was one of the first known democracies. “Demo” or “Dem” are greek roots meaning for people. The democratic structure from the…

concept of democracy originated in Athens, Greece in 5th century B.C., and the word “democracy” derives from the Greek words “demos” (the people) and “kratia” (power or authority). The Athenian model of democracy was a precursor to modern versions that would emerge during the Age of Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries. Since the power of a democracy is centered in the people, this form of government is the most desirable, and also the most challenging. A successful democracy consists of…

and historians alike, It might seem absurd to pose the question of whether the great city of Athens was the leading promoter of democracy in the rest of the Greek city-states during the 4th and 5th centuries. After all, the majority of personal accounts of Greece in that period allege that the Athenian empire was the first to advocate for the establishment of democracy. However, we find little to no concrete confirmation of this widely held belief when looking back at history and seeking out for…