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Europe Geography & History SEC TION 2 . 3
Name
Use with Europe Geography & History, Section 2.3, in your textbook.
Go to Interactive Whiteboard GeoActivities at
myNGconnect.com to complete this activity online.
2 . 3 Th e R e p u b l i c o f R o m e
Compare Greek and Roman Governments
Learn more about Greek and Roman governments. Then complete a
chart that compares and contrasts the two types of government.
Direct Democracy and Republic
Similarities
Differences
Greek Democracy
Ancient Greece was divided into many small areas called city-states.
Because Greek city-states were not bound together by any central
ruler or empire, various forms of government emerged. One form was
direct democracy. Athens, one of Greece’s city-states, was governed by
direct democracy during the fifth and fourth centuries b.c. Every person
who was eligible to vote had a say in government decisions. Decisions
supported by the majority became law.
The Roman Republic
Rome was originally a city-state. The powers of the Roman Senate,
composed primarily of wealthy people, were balanced by the power of
the Roman Assembly. The Assembly was a gathering of poorer Romans
who met in the Forum, or hall. They could have a say in the election of
magistrates and the enactment of new laws. As the Roman Republic
expanded, it continued to have a central government. However, citizens
who lived far from the city could not participate. The government
decided that these citizens could elect representatives to attend the
Assembly. In a republic, people do not vote directly for or against laws,
but instead elect representatives to vote in their place.
2.Identify How did the Assembly ensure a more democratic government for the
Roman Republic?
1.Create Charts Use the information in the two passages to compare
and contrast a direct democracy and a republic.
4.Synthesize What is a potential problem of a direct democracy, or “majority
rule”? What is a potential problem of a republic?
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3.Evaluate Why do you think the United States government was formed
as a republic, rather than as a direct democracy?
4/21/11 2:13 PM