Discussion Forum Unit 1

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Discussion Forum Unit 1 Let's begin this discussion by taking a moment to introduce yourself to your peers. Tell us where you are from and why you are interested in Greek and Roman Civilization. Feel free to add your interests or hobbies. Hello everyone, I was born in Bogota, Colombia and moved to the United States 19 years ago with my parents and have been living here in Florida ever since. I’m also a wife and mother to a 4 year old boy. I've always thought history to be fascinating and have always been interested in learning more about our past to see if we repeat the same mistakes because we failed to learn from them. The idea of Greek and Roman culture is intriguing since many of the philosophers' teachings hold true now, and we may learn more about how they established democracy so that the majority of the globe might emulate their methods. Next, reflect on the various structures of Athenian democracy & compare them with the system of government in your own country. You may consider the following aspects:  o Citizenship and franchise o The procedure to make laws and who had the power to do so o The power of the Judiciary o Judicial Review o Ways of constraining the power of public officials Only adult male Athenians who were born to Athenians and had successfully finished military training were eligible to vote in laws, participate in assemblies, and hold public office in the direct democracy that was Athens (Froomkin et al., 2023). Foreigners, women, and slaves were not allowed to participate in democratic processes. Greek individuals had the ability to propose legislation, which were then discussed and decided upon by the assembly. The council, which was composed of 500 randomly chosen residents, had the authority to establish the agenda and supervise the application of legislation. The assembly eventually had the authority to enact laws, although there were restrictions on this authority, such as the council's ability to examine proposed legislation (Froomkin et al., 2023). Ordinary persons who acted as jurors in courts made up the judiciary in Athens. The courts' rulings were final and they had the authority to hear both criminal and civil disputes. However, Athenian democracy did not have the idea of judicial review (Froomkin et al., 2023). Athenians used a system of ostracism, in which a citizen may be exiled from the city for ten years if a sufficient number of people voted to have them removed, to limit the authority of public authorities. Officials were also held to high standards and may face impeachment if it was discovered that they had broken any laws (Froomkin et al., 2023). In contrast, the US government is a representational democracy that guarantees everyone the right to vote. Elections are open to all people over the age of 18, and the legislative arm of government—which is composed of elected representatives who discuss and vote on legislation—

has the authority to enact new laws. As an independent department of government, the court has the authority to declare government acts or legislation unconstitutional through judicial review. Public officials are limited by a system of laws and regulations intended to prevent corruption and the abuse of power, as well as by the system of checks and balances, which gives each component of government the authority to check the power of the other branches (Ginsberg et al., 2019). Overall, while the American political system and the Athens democracy share certain parallels, there are also important distinctions in terms of citizenship and voting rights, legislative processes, the judiciary's authority, and methods for limiting the authority of public servants References: Froomkin, D., Shapiro, J., & Dahl, R. A. (2023, November 19). Democracy . Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/democracy Ginsberg, B., Lowi, T. J., Weir, M., Tolbert, C. J., & Spitzer, R. J. (2019). We the people: An introduction to American politics. WW Norton & Company.

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