How Athenian Democracy Worked
What did Athenian Democracy depend on?
Active citizen involvement
What is representative democracy?
Citizens elect others to represent them in government. These representatives make the decisions and pass laws on behalf of other people.
What was the connection between the introduction of the phalanx and the beginning of democracy?
The phalanx allowed men who could not afford horses and armor to join the army. Gave political power to the people rather than the aristocracy.
In what ways did Solon's reforms promote early democracy in Athens?
By ending the practice of selling poor people into slavery when they could not pay their debts, he created a fairer society by giving people back their freedom.
What is the heavily armed foot soldiers who moved together as a unit?
What is a phalanx?
What were some of the limitations of Athenian Democracy?
Women could not vote or hold office; foreigners had no voice in government; slaves had no rights.
What is a political system in which the free adult male citizens participated in making the decisions?
A direct democracy
How did tyranny develop?
Tyrants won popular support by promising land and other benefits to their followers.
In what ways did the reforms embraced under Cleisthenes continue the development of democracy?
More citizens were allowed to vote, bringing in new voters from lower classes. With more power given to the assembly, Athenians had a bigger voice in how the city was run. Citizen juries put legal decisions in the hands of the people.
membership in a community
What is citizenship?
Why do you think the boule and its subcommittees were created?
Without a group that filtered bills submitted to the assembly, there would have been no way to accomplish the necessary work.
What are the differences between representative and direct democracy?
Direct democracy: every citizen gets to vote on the rules and decisions, instead of Representative democracy where a smaller group of elected people make decisions for everyone.
How are oligarchies and tyrannies different?
In an oligarchy, power is held by a small group of people. Under tyranny, the government is run by one strong ruler.
People who lacked the rights of citizens lived under a ruler they had to always obey. In Athens, citizenship gave people the right to help make government decisions and decide the laws under which they would live
"rule by the people"
What is democracy?
How did juries decide cases in the courts?
By a majority vote
How did the assembly provide the Athenians with a direct role in government decisions?
The assembly voted on laws, made foreign policy, and had members that served in the boule.
How did the members of the phalanx help to protect each other?
They lined up and formed a row of overlapping shields.
How did Athenians use education to maintain their democracy?
Education produced citizens who were prepared to take and active part in the government.
Political power held by a small group of people
What is an oligarchy?