INTA 1200American Government

Question: Do we really live in a democracy?

How do we define democracy?

Democracy =
form of political decision-making that is ultimately based on elections:
Competitive
Free
Fair
Regular

Direct
Democracy

Republican
Democracy

VS.

Constitutional
Democracy

Ancient Greece

Oligarchy or Aristocracy = rule by the wealthy

Despotism or Tyranny = arbitrary or self-appointed

rule by single individual

Monarchy = constitutional or traditional rule

by a single individual

Cleisthenes ~570-508 BC

Legislative Process of Athenian Democracy (~5th Century BC)

Greek ostrakon

Alcibiades
(450 BC 405 BC)

Patrician = Romes super-rich, elite families

Plebian or Plebe = everybody else

Clientelle (Client-Patron) = economic system of favors,
where a wealthy high-ranking patron uses his power to aid a
network of clients, who then owe him labor

Early 16th Century Venetian Doge (Leonardo Loredan)

Venetian Doge in Official Ceremony (early 16th Century)

Key Lessons from History of Democracy

When Angry with US Govtdont confuse:

direct democracy
republican democracy

constitutional democracy

Key Lessons from History of Democracy (?)

Greece: direct democracy
rule by the lowest-common-denominator and angry masses
prone to chaos, emotion, takeover by charismatic egos.
tends towards either instability/anarchy v. despotism.
Rome: republican democracy
prone to rule by the wealthy. Get into power, then use office to
stay in power.
aristocracy of distant and disconnected self-appointed elites.
Venice: republics can work! But perhaps only in states that are:
small
homogenous
highly commercial/trade
Economics: Democracy seems to require
large, strong middle class. Hence wealth + middle/low inequality.
a healthy democracy needs healthy economy
connection between democracy and intxl trade?
War: Pivotal role of war! Major economic and political threat/opportunity.

Key Lessons from History of Democracy

Democracy does NOT guarantee freedom:
Rome and Greece were two of historys ~5 great slave societies
Political-economic bondage of client-patron relationships
tyranny of majority could destroy the freedom of non-slaves
Venice had very tight control over its citizens social/economic life
in no case did women have political citizenship

Spice and Silk Trade