Download Can you save the Roman Republic? Directions: Imagine you are a

Can you save the Roman Republic?
Directions: Imagine you are a Roman consul. Consuls have some power, but
they are not gods. They must obey the will of the people, keep the rich happy,
and still save Rome from self-destruction. As elected consuls, leaders of
government, your job is to solve three major problems facing the Republic.
Example Problem: Slaves are brought back from each conquered land.
These slaves are assigned jobs in the factories and on the farms, working for
much less than any free Roman can. These slaves are putting free citizens, who
are laborers and small farmers, out of work. Poor Romans are starving to death.
What can we do?
Example Solution: The Romans never permanently solved this problem. At
various times, they tried land reform (giving land to poor Romans), freeing the
slaves (they would then conquer another territory and get more slaves), and
price controls. They even had a welfare program. Nothing worked for long.
Your Job: Let's see if we can do better than the Romans did to generate
reforms to correct some of Rome's major problems during the Roman Republic!
Can You Save Rome?
Read each specific problem. Formulate an answer on the worksheet below the
problems. Remember, you are Consuls whose job it is to work out these
difficulties for your country.
Problem 1.Rome needs tax money. The government needs to pay the
legions, build roads, sewers, aqueducts, arenas, and pay for the welfare program
in Rome. To get this tax money, Rome uses tax farmers. Tax farmers are
Romans who pay a flat fee to the Roman Republic for the privilege of collecting
taxes from a territory. To recoup these monies, tax farmers then levy a tax
against every citizen in their territory. Tax collectors expect to make a profit, as
they are in the business of tax collection. This is understood. However, under this
system, there are many abuses, as the government can not control how each tax
farmer runs their individual business. How can we stop the abuses while still
continuing to get the tax money we need to run the Republic? This job was
called a "tax farmer". When a farmer plants a seed, that farmer expects a large
return from just one seed. Such was true of the position and goals of the tax
"farmer". Each tax farmer paid an amount to the Republic, and expected a large
return from their investment.
Problem 2 Under the Republic, elected officials use their positions to
get rich. To get elected, some people are buying votes. The poor are quite
happy to sell their votes to the highest bidder. Under this system, many people
are elected who are poor governors. Graft and corruption are rampant. How can
we ensure good government for Rome?
Problem 3. Under the Republic, Rome did not have a police force.
Wealthy Romans hired guards, and even built private armies. During elections,
these private armies often clash, which is creating havoc on the streets and
unsafe conditions for innocent bystanders. At all times, Rome's streets are not
safe for citizens after dark. How can we solve this problem?
WORKSHEET
Can You Save the Republic?
Problem - Rome needs tax money to run the Republic.
Your Solution Problem 1
Problem - Elected officials are using their positions to get rich.
Problem 2
Your Solution -
Problem - Rome does not have a police force.
Your Solution Problem 3
Thank you, Consuls, for your commitment to solving the various serious
problem of Rome which face our beloved country. Now we must wait
for Time to tell of our fate in history.