Question

Classical Greece and Rome have contributed greatly to our current understanding of democracy. In ancient Greece, citizens were directly responsible for participating in government decisions. In Rome, the citizens elected government officials to make decisions on their behalf as part of a republican government. Both systems of democracy—direct and representative—have influenced the US political system. After learning about the history of ancient Greece and Rome, what do you think are the benefits of a democratic system? In what ways did democracy serve Greece and Rome? Has there been a time when democracy didn’t serve Greece or Rome in a way that was beneficial? What circumstances contributed to the failures of democracy you learned about in the lessons on ancient Greece and ancient Rome? Are there any potentially negative aspects of democracy? Why or why not?

Answer 1

Answer:

The United States has a complex government system. One important tenet of this system is democracy, in which the ultimate power rests with the people. In the case of the United States, that power is exercised indirectly, through elected representatives. Although the U.S. has been a strong proponent of democracy, it did not invent democracy. The Greeks are often credited with pioneering a democratic government that went on to influence the structure of the United States. Read this article that describes how elements of ancient Greek democracy heavily influenced the figures that designed the United States government.