What is Democracy?

·Regular, contested elections

·Alternation of Governments
·Rule of Law
·freedoms: speech, association press, etc.
·pluralism/polycentrism/civil society
·Privacy
·Separation of powers/checks and balances
 Important events
·Death of Socrates: Plato blames democracy [399BC]
·The Roman Republic [SPQR]
·Anglo-saxon and Viking ideas of warrior community [Dark
Ages]
·Magna Carta 1215
·Glorious Revolution 1688
·American Revolution 1776
·French Revolution 1789
 Women, slaves,
and foreigners
Democracy Under
weren’t considered
citizens so they Cleisthenes
· All citizens had the right and
couldn’t vote.

were urged to assemble to

Athenians would assemble
Athenians would debate
participate in the making of
laws.
· Citizens gave speeches and
debates on issues.
· After speeches were over,
voting took place.

Athenians would vote

 Democracy Under
Cleisthenes Cont. Debates on Pnyx
were often noisy

· Voting was usually done by show of and lacked

organization.
hands.
· For major decisions, 6,000 citizens were
needed to vote.
· As you can imagine, it was difficult at
times to find 6,000 people to come vote.
· To make it easier, citizens were selected to
serve on a smaller council which decided
on laws to discuss.

Voting took place on Pnyx (pah-NIKS), a small hill that sometimes held 6,000 people.
 The Foundations of
Democracy
A. Ancient Greece
B. Ancient Rome
·The birthplace of
democracy is in Athens
·Athens used to have a
monarchy
·Then it became an
aristocracy
·Then, when the citizens
governed or ruled
themselves, it became a
democracy
·Democracy developed because of three Athenian rulers:
Solon, Cleisthenes, and Pericles.
·They allowed citizens to vote and Athens developed into
a direct democracy.
·However, not everyone was considered a citizen
·Philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle continued
the development of democracy through their writings
·Natural Laws: laws of nature that explained how
people desired self-rule
·Socrates – 1 great Greek philosopher to voice his beliefs
st

in democracy.
·Believed in a meritocracy where those with exceptional
ability (really smart) and moral character should be
leaders.
·Plato – wrote The Republic.
·Believed a state should be ruled
by the wisest not the richest to
save the people from evil.
·They would be called philosopher-
kings.
 Socrates
·Roamed the market place asking people “What is for
the greatest good?”
·He posed a series of questions to his students and
challenged them to examine their answers.
·This would help them to seek truth and self knowledge
 Socrates
·When he was 70 he was put on trial
·He was accused of corrupting the youth and failing to respect
the gods
·He was condemned to death by a jury
·He was a defender of the democratic process and wouldn’t
escape.
·Then individual should submit to the needs of the state.
·He drank a cup of hemlock tea.
 Plato
·The execution of Socrates left him with a distrust of
democracy
·He left Athens for 10 years
·When he returned he set up the Academy
·He taught and wrote about his ideas
·Through rational thought people could learn how to
best organize society
 Plato
·Wrote the Republic
·Rejected Athenian Democracy
·State should regulate every aspect of citizens lives
·Believed in equality at birth, but that people can rise
only as high as their abilities would allow.
 Plato’s ideal society
·Three class society
·-workers to produce the necessities of life
·-soldiers to defend the state
·-philosophers to rule
 Aristotle
·Plato’s student
·Analyzed all forms of government
·Found good and bad in all
·Suspicious of democracy, thought it could lead to mob
rule
·Favored a constitutional government ruled by middle
class
 Aristotle’s Polity
·Government ruled by middle class
·Goal is to establish just and stable rule
·Believed that within the city-state people could reach
their full potential and achieve the good life
·Rulers should be subject to the law