Democracy

Question 1

Democracy

Answer 1

• Democracy is a form of a government
• The word democracy means “rule by the people”
• People have a say in how a government runs
• All citizens get to vote or choose who gets to represent them like a leader or a president

Question 2

City-state

Answer 2

• Self-governing communities called city states
• These were the first societies to create an independent political structure for themselves
• City-states do not owe any alliance or higher authority like empires or nations
• The first city-state was in Mesopotamia in 5000 BC to 2500 BC
• Another Era of city-states were Corinth, Sparta, and Athens (700 BC - 350 BC)

Question 3

Cleisthenes

Answer 3

• He was the founder of Athenian democracy, and served as chief archon
• Became the leader of Athens around 500 BCE
• He was considered an aristocrat but refused to let only nobles control parts of government
• He was able to overthrow the aristocrat and created a new form of government (Democracy)
• Cleisthenes is sometimes referred to as the “Father of Democracy”
• Under his rule everyone had the right to vote

Question 4

Direct democracy

Answer 4

• Direct democracy is also called pure democracy
• citizens would vote on issues instead of candidates or parties
• sometimes operate through assemblies with the citizens

Question 5

Republic

Answer 5

• citizens elect for officials and representatives
• Modern republics are founded on the rest of the people’s power if they are not satisfied with the leader they can kick them out of that position
• Most republics today are true republics
  (Ex: United States of America)

Question 6

Patrician

Answer 6

• Any family member that is a citizen, in contrast with the plebeian class
• Privileged Class early in Rome
• Leaders for important families or clans that played a major part
• constituted an early nobility of birth

Question 7

Plebeian

Answer 7

• They were peasants, craftspeople, traders, and other workers
• general citizenry in ancient Rome to the patricians
• Plebeians were originally excluded from the Senate and from all public offices except military tribune
• Before they law Lex Canuleia (445 BCE) plebeians were not allowed to marry patricians
• Until plebeians started a campaign to have their civil disabilities stopped (Conflict of the Orders)
• Organized their own council and elected their own officials
• Patricians were nervous that the plebeians were going to overthrow them
• Patricians decided to change their way of government in order to prevent plebeians overthrowing them

Question 8

Checks and balances

Answer 8

• Principle of government
• Each branch is given power to prevent actions from branches
• Each branch is told to share power
• Checks and balances are usually given in constitutional governments
• They are fundamental to three party governments
  (Ex: United States - legislative, executive, and judicial branches)