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Democracy
Democracy is defined as a system of government in which
power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or
through freely elected representatives. No one person
invented the type of democracy that we have today. The
building blocks were created in the classical period and
developed over the centuries. The classical period covers
the long history of the region that surrounds the
Mediterranean Sea. Democracy was just one of the many
different types of governments that the Greeks and Romans
tried over the centuries. Political thinkers, including
America’s Founding Fathers, studied the history of these
civilizations closely for lessons on government.
Ancient Greece (508 BCE- 404 BCE)
Almost 2,500 years ago the leader of Athens (a Greek city-state)
decided to try something different – rule by the people, or direct
democracy. This kind of democracy required all the citizens to
participate directly in the actions of government. The assembly
created laws and directed foreign policy, the council oversaw the
actions of government, and the courts acted as police, judges, and
jury. Back then, only male citizens of Athens over 18 were
considered part of the demos, or government. They did not vote on
their rulers and citizenship rights and responsibilities were granted
to those born to citizenship and those “naturalized” into citizenship.
The rights of citizens included voting, jury service, and ownership of property.
In Athens, the citizens had a hand in all of the decisions and actions of government. This system only lasted about 200
years, but it made an impact on future civilizations. This approach worked as long as it did because Athens had a small
population that allowed for close cooperation. Another major civilization in the neighborhood was Rome. The Roman
government had a larger territory and more people, so direct democracy wasn’t going to work as well. They would have
to make some improvements without losing the power of the people.
Ancient Rome (509 BCE – 27 BCE)
The leaders of Rome wanted democracy, but knew they’d never be able to
get every citizen to participate in government. So, in 508 BCE, the Roman
Republic was founded. In a republic, the citizens elect representatives to
run the government for them. Wealthy male citizens voted for
representatives to attend senate meetings and vote on laws that affected
the entire republic. The senators elected two consuls to head the
government and manage the army. This system lasted for almost 500 years. There were three branches of government
in the Roman Republic: the Senate, the Citizen Assembly and Tribunes (a voice for the common people – plebeians), and
the Consuls or “executive” branch. Each branch of government had certain checks and balances on other branches. Laws
were written on Twelve Tables of Law and posted in the Forum for the public. Veto (Latin for “I refuse”) was an option
for both Consuls and Senators. Jury trials were modeled on the Greek system and conducted in Ancient Rome.
HISD Social Studies Curriculum 2016
Social Studies Grade 6
Further developments in England
These influences from Ancient Greece and Rome were further modified (changed) by England through its law-making
body called Parliament (House of Lords and the House of Commons), the Magna Carta and Constitutional Monarchy (the
idea that the monarch, or king/queen, ruled with the invitation and the consent of Parliament) established after the
Glorious Revolution in 1688.
The Magna Carta (1215) was the first formal document stating that a King had to follow the laws of the land and it
guaranteed the rights of individuals against the wishes of the King. Under the provisions of the Magna Carta, people
couldn't be arrested, imprisoned, or have their property seized (taken away) except by the judgement of his equals
(peers) and/or the law of the land. This paved the way for trial by jury which means people are tried by their peers and
guaranteed the civil rights of the individual. The Magna Carta established the principle that the people of England could
limit the power of a King if he was doing things that were not good for the country.
Democracy in America
Greek democracy and the Roman Republic has greatly
influenced the government we have today. During the American
Revolution (America’s fight for freedom against the British),
colonial leaders such as Thomas Jefferson and others
incorporated democratic ideas into our founding documents
such as the Declaration of Independence and the US
Constitution (the “law of our land”) and Bill of Rights (the first
ten amendments of the Constitution that lists the basic rights of
US citizens). Even in the 1700s, America was too big to work as a
direct democracy. The Founding Fathers established a system that gave power to the people, and did so with elected
representatives. The final product is called a representative democracy. A representative democracy is a system of
government in which all eligible citizens vote on representatives to pass laws for them. In the United States, for
example, eligible citizens elect a president and members of the Congress. Citizens also elect local and state officials and
there are 3 branches of government—Executive (President and Cabinet), Judicial (Supreme Court), Legislative (Senate
and House of Representatives).
Reading adapted from Cradle of Democracy. Influence Library. iCivics.
HISD Social Studies Curriculum 2016
Social Studies Grade 6