Democracy in Athens
From Athens to Today: The Evolution of DemocracyThe form of political organization that evolved in the polis of Athens over the course of the sixth, fifth, and fourth centuries B.C. is one of the most well-known legacies of the Greco-Roman world. This idea, known as democracy, is now widely accepted as the most desirable form of human political organization. Moreover, the Athenian democracy represents one of the longest periods of popular self-government in human history, equaled among modern countries only by the United States. The Greek word demokratia can be translated literally as "the people possess the political power in the state". An Athenian invention, democracy, is traditionally credited to Kleisthenes, but the reforms of 508 and 507 B.C. that go under his name were the result of many different forces. Democracy continued to develop over nearly two centuries from 508 to 322. While democracy got its roots in ancient Greece, it is important to make a distinction between ancient democracy and the various modern versions of government under the same name. In ancient Greece, the government of the people by the people and for the people was carried out directly by the citizens, whereas in modern democracies voters
Exclusion of "others" from politics was a very important factor in the unity of the political society of the Greek polis, and was considerably less severe than the actions of other nondemocratic Greek poleis. Given the structure of Greek political culture, it is far more important that the Athenians achieved political equality among the adult male citizens and restricted the political privileges of the elite. The Athenian example has a lot to show us about the nature and potential of democracy as a form of social and political organization. (who are not necessarily citizens) elect representatives to take decisions on their behalf and have no direct access to political power on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, the functional role of government officials in modern democracies tend to be clearly differentiated; for this reason, individual officials are expected to fulfill leadership and administrative functions, but they are not necessarily expected to exemplify every moral value held worthy by the society as a whole. The key decision-making body of the Athenian's was the Assembly. Athenian laws and customs kept women in an inferior social position and denied their political existence. The Athenian democratic "constitution" was based on a belief system that stressed the wisdom and binding nature of group decisions, the freedom of the citizens, and the equality of all citizens. Much of what we learn about ancient democracy has been hurt by a tendency to exaggerate the similarities. The duties of each official in the government are relatively clear and often legally defined and limited. Elections were considered potentially undemocratic, since they favored those with demonstrated ability; most government officials were selected by lot. In addition to elected representatives, the governing class in a modern democracy normally includes executive officials, at least some of whom are appointed rather than elected, and a professional judiciary. The limitation of the rights to freeborn males is certainly undemocratic nowadays, but to deny that the Athenian government was a democracy because the Athenians did not recognize rights that most western nations have granted recently is absurd. An elite, whose members provide the state with the experience and leadership necessary for its continued existence, typically runs the every day business of a modern democratic government. Few modern advocates would find reason to argue with Demosthenes' characterization of the ethos of democratic Athens: compassion for the weak, a prohibition against strong and powerful individuals acting violently toward other citizens, and a refusal to tolerate either brutal treatment by the powerful of the mass of citizens or subservience by the masses to the powerful.
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