Ancient Greece Democracy

​Acropolis, Athens 482 B.C.E.

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​Demos = people

​Kratos = rule/power

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Democracy is the idea that the citizens of a country should take an active role in the government of their country and manage it directly or through elected representatives.

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​People can replace their government through peaceful transfers of power rather than violent uprising or revolution.

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​People have a voice.

• I​n Athens, all adult citizens were required to take an active part in the government. If they did not fulfill their duty they would be fined and sometimes marked with red paint.​

• ​The Athenian definition of “citizens” was also different from modern-day citizens: only free men were considered citizens in Athens.

• Women, children, and slaves were not considered citizens and therefore could not vote.

• ​Each year 500 names were chosen from all the citizens of ancient Athens.

• Those 500 citizens had to actively serve in the government for one year.

• During that year, they were responsible for making new laws and controlled all parts of the political process.

• When a new law was proposed, all the citizens of Athens had the opportunity to vote on it.

• To vote, citizens had to attend the assembly on the day the vote took place.

​Government in which citizens vote for representatives who create and change laws that govern the people rather than getting to vote directly on the laws themselves.

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​https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/democracy-people-power/?utm_source=BibblioRCM_Row#democracy

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​What are the differences from Direct to Representative Democracy?