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What is democracy? Democracy De·moc·ra·cy

1. government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. 2. a state having such a form of government: The United States and Canada are democracies. 3. a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges. 4. political or social equality; democratic spirit. 5. the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with respect to their political power. Definition from Dictionary.com

Athenian democracy

Athenian democracy started in central Athens and the territory of Attica near 500 B.C.. The Athenian democracy was one of the very first known democracies and is very important in the ancient times, separate Greek states/cities developed democracies that was similar to the Athenian democracy but not as powerful and important as the Athenian democracy. The Athenian democracy is very unique direct democracy, where representatives are not elected but the people vote on legislation and bills. Three people contributed to the development of the Athenian democracy their names are Ephialtes, Solon, and Cleisthenes. Still to this day historians can not determine who was responsible for the institutions and which of them represented the democratic movement. Athenian democracy is usually dated from Cleisthenes. Solon's constitution failed and Peisistratus replaced it and Ephialtes changed Cleisthenes constitution. When Pericles the longest lasting democratic leader died the oligarchic revolution briefly interrupted the Athenian democracy twice near the end of the Peloponnesian war, after it was restored Eucleides modified it.

American Democracy

American Democracy abides by the principles in the American Declaration of Independence which was created in 1776. The most important principle is the phrase “All men are created equal”. The first part of the 20th century African Americans and women did not have the right to vote. Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and African Americans were fighting their right to vote at that time. If you were illiterate or mentally ill by law than you were prohibited from voting, If you were incarcerated for life 14 states prohibited you from voting and if you were out on parole than 32 states prohibited you from voting. In the creation of the United States Democracy the creators idolized the Athenian Democracy, that is what makes us quite similar to them.

Differences between the United States democracy and the Athenian democracy

Things Alike With the United States Democracy and the Athenian Democracy
 * The United States Democracy uses indirect Democracy unlike the Athenian Democracy, the Athenian Democracy uses direct democracy which is when representatives are not elected but the people vote on legislation and bills.
 * In the creation of the Athenian Democracy 3 different individuals contributed, their names are Ephialtes, Solon, and Cleisthenes and in the creation of the United States Democracy 2 separate individuals helped their names are Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.


 * In the creation of the United States Democracy the creators idolized the Athenian Democracy

Pictures:

picture from images.google.com Athenian Acropolis a·crop·o·lis 1. the citadel or high fortified area of an ancient Greek city. 2. the Acropolis, the citadel of Athens and the site of the Parthenon. (definition from dictionary.com)

(Image supplied by images.google.com) Pieces of broken pottery as voting tokens. The persons nominated are Pericles, Cimon and Aristides (top to bottom) (description from commons.wikimedia.org)