Part One:

Identifying Types �of Government

Through an examination

of the emergence of

Athenian Democracy

The Rise of Democracy

• Before Athens, Greece, most governments were monarchies or theocracies.
• Theocracy – government ruled by religious leaders who follow the laws of the gods
• However, Athens is famous for the world’s first democracy.
• Democracy, in Greek, means “rule by the people.”
• In a democracy people get to create the laws and elect the rulers they live under.
• But Athens did not start as a democracy - it was a long road taking several hundred years.

The Rise of Democracy

• Athens was first a monarchy.
• This is rule by a king.
• In a monarchy a king inherits his power from his dad.
• He is not elected.
• Also, citizens have no role in their government.

The Rise of Democracy

• Next Athens became an oligarchy.
• This is a government ruled by a few wealthy landowners.
• Wealthy landowners are sometimes called aristocrats or nobles.
• It was during this time that Draco instituted his harsh set of laws.

The Rise of Democracy

• Unhappy with the strict laws of the aristocrats, a noble overthrew the oligarchy with military force and established himself as the sole leader.
• This is called tyranny.
• A tyrant is a leader who holds power by military force.
• Today “tyrant” has a harsh meaning to it, but in Athens the tyrants were popular.
• Today the term dictator (dictatorship) is often a leader who holds power by military force.

The Rise of Democracy

• An aristocrat named Cleisthenes established Athens as the world’s first democracy.
• He allowed all citizens* of Athens to participate in the Assembly which made and voted on all Greek laws.

Who are Athenian citizens?

• Free males
• Born in Athens
• Having served two years in the military
• And are 20 years of age

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The Rise of Democracy

• Pericles will eventually lead Athens to democracy at its height.
• Every citizen* was able to meet, make, debate and then vote on laws.
• This is called a DIRECT DEMOCRACY because citizens* participate directly!
• They run the government!

Part Two:

The Athenian�Direct Democracy

Compared with the

United States’

Representative Democracy

“We do not say that the man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business. We say that he has no business at all.”

-Pericles

The Direct Democracy in Athens, Greece

• The place where laws were created was called the Assembly.
• 6000 citizens were needed to vote on major decisions!
• B/c the numbers grew so large, other official positions were created to help organize the government.

The Athenian Direct Democracy

• Athenian citizens also served on juries to determine someone’s innocence or guilt.
• Juries were made up of 200-6,000 people!
• Contrast this to a monarchy or theocracy where a king or god determines innocence or guilt.

The Athenian Direct Democracy

• Pericles was the first to pay officials and juries for their government service.
• Votes to “ostracize” were also held once a year.
• If enough people voted, a person could be ostracized (kicked out) of Athens for up to 10-20 yrs.

The Athenian Direct Democracy

• Benefits:
• All citizens can debate, make, and vote on laws themselves.
• Citizens get to determine someone’s innocence or guilt.
• Power is divided up between the citizens . No one person has too much power!

• Problems:
• Citizens may not have been capable of making good laws.
• Decisions may have been difficult with so many people at the Assembly.

The United States’�Representative Democracy

• We have a representative democracy or an indirect democracy - NOT a DIRECT DEMOCRACY.
• Our citizens do not directly make laws in the U.S.
• Instead citizens elect representatives to make the laws for us.
• A direct democracy would not work in the U.S. because we have far too many people in such a large country.

“The Greek word for idiot, literally translated, means one who does not participate in politics. That sums up my conviction on the subject.”

-Gladys Pyle, U.S. Senator