Athens 5th century BCE
Successive reforms turned Athens in to the 1st democracy. This democracy could be divided into 3 or 4 branches, depending on how you look at it:the assembly(the people), the Council of 500(Athenian Congress), Athenian juries, and sometimes people mention the executive branch. The participants in these branches were all chosen by the people. Only male citizens were allowed to vote and voting was conducted by a showing of hands. To keep politicians in their place, the techinique of ostracism was used. This was a sort of state-wide impeachment where people used shards of broken pottery as "voting ballots" to express the person they wished to exile for ten years. No more democratic form of government had ever been formed where citizens have an oppurtunity in every branch to voice their opinion. Athens bequeaths democracy to modern society. Two people mainly responsible for this are Ephialtes and Pericles.
Roman Republic
Rome established a more representative form of government known as the Roman Republic. Much of Roman history lies shrouded in obscurity because evidence at times was deliberately
suppressed and falsified. Despite this fact, there is a solid core of information to support the institution of the plebeian tribunate. Plebeians were the commoners of Rome. Plebeians could elect officers to defend their rights. They could now vote and decide who they wanted to represent them. These representatives could forbid acts that the plebeians were against. If anyone went against the representative, they became an outlaw and were liable to be killed by plebeians. The tribunes were able to veto acts of most, but could not veto a dictator's choice. Because of this sought after power of veto, the position in the tribunate was wanted avidly. This makeshift office gained much power. There also existed other branches composed of consuls and magistrates in this period.
suppressed and falsified. Despite this fact, there is a solid core of information to support the institution of the plebeian tribunate. Plebeians were the commoners of Rome. Plebeians could elect officers to defend their rights. They could now vote and decide who they wanted to represent them. These representatives could forbid acts that the plebeians were against. If anyone went against the representative, they became an outlaw and were liable to be killed by plebeians. The tribunes were able to veto acts of most, but could not veto a dictator's choice. Because of this sought after power of veto, the position in the tribunate was wanted avidly. This makeshift office gained much power. There also existed other branches composed of consuls and magistrates in this period.
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was an imperial bureaucracy. This means that it relates to an empire and its ruler and its structure as a government. At first there were triumvirates. That meant that were was a ruling system of 3 equal individuals who were in a way co-emperors. Eventually Rome was ruled by emperors (emperors rule empires like kings rule kingdoms, get it?). The people had no real say in what happened or what choices the triumvirates and emperors made. They had no real power to vote becuase this was almost given solely to the emperor(s).
Works Cited
Athens info-www.tbns.net/eggy/class2/classics020206.doc
Athens info-ttp://www.luc.edu/faculty/ldossey/athenssept11web.htm
Athens info-http://www.utexas.edu/courses/introtogreece/lecture01/img13ostraka.html
Athens info-www.tbns.net/eggy/class2/classics020206.doc
Athens info-ttp://www.luc.edu/faculty/ldossey/athenssept11web.htm
Athens info-http://www.utexas.edu/courses/introtogreece/lecture01/img13ostraka.html
Roman Republic info-"Roman Government Creates Plebeian Tribunate, 494 B.C." DISCovering World History. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. John Carroll School. 5 Nov. 2008 <." contentset="GSRC&type=" tabid="T001&prodId=" docid="EJ2105240240&source=" srcprod="SRCG&userGroupName=" version="1.0">." contentset="GSRC&type=" tabid="T001&prodId=" docid="EJ2105240240&source=" srcprod="SRCG&userGroupName=" version="1.0">.">http://find.galegroup.com/srcx/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=SRC-1&docId=EJ2105240240&source=gale&srcprod=SRCG&userGroupName=bel71807&version=1.0>.
The U.S. voting practice is most closely based upon the Athenian democracy. Athens also believed in freedom of speech and capitalism. The United States has the branches of governments that can keep each other in check and are influenced by the wishes of the people.
Of these three voting practices I think the democracy of Athens is the best voting practice and the Roman Empire's is the worst. This is different becuase there seems to have been a retrogression instead of progression in creating a solid government of the people.
In an ideal world I think the voting practices would be a combination of the United States voting practices and the Athens voting practices. This would create a truely solid government that is all around affected by the people, which could even have there own branch.
