Athens: Life and Government

Transcription

1 Name: Period: Date: World History 7 Athens: Life and Government Part 1 - FQ: How was power distributed in ancient Athens? Go to my website and click on the following link: Read the description of Athens on the main page first. 1. What did Athens do first? 2. Who was allowed to participate in Athenian democracy? 3. Who was NOT allowed to participate in Athenian democracy? 4. Click on Story and go through the day of the different types of people living in Athens. As you go through their day, consider the focus question and give examples of the type of power each person had or did not have and how it affected their role in society. Diokles (foreigner, male): Eirene (foreigner, female): Lydos (slave, male): Aristophon (farmer, male): Ampharete (citizen, businesswoman, female): Eleutheros (citizen, wealthy, male): Leagros (12 years old, son of a citizen, male):

2 5. Summarize/analyze now. Make some type of chart or picture representation of how power was distributed in ancient Athens. Consider the categories of people, and be sure to include labels. Imagine this is something you would find in a textbook next to a paragraph describing the different social classes in Athens. 6. Now compare Athenian social order to today. How was the distribution of power in Athens similar to/different from other civilizations we looked at this year? How is Athenian social order similar to/different from our country today? *If you have time, look at the Explore and Challenge parts of the website.* Under Challenge What does the red rope game tell us about the importance of government participation in Athens?

3 Part 2 FQ: How is Athenian democracy similar to/different from American democracy, and why? You live in a democracy, as do many people around the world. If you think about the news today, many more people are asking for democratic governments: Egypt, Syria, China, etc. What does this mean? What is a democracy, and how does it compare from ancient Greece to today? Go to my website and click on the following link: Read Around 510 BCE, The Ancient Athenians Invented Democracy. Then answer the following questions: 1. Describe how direct democracy worked in ancient Athens: A. Each year, 500 names were drawn from all the citizens of Athens. Those 500 citizens had. B. All citizens of Athens were required to vote that this body of 500 citizens created. C.,, and were not allowed to vote. 2. Define DIRECT DEMOCRACY: Define REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: Think about it What might be an example of a DIRECT democracy and REPRESENTATIVE democracy?

4 Now Click on the link for Greek Democracy Then and Now (BBC) at the bottom of the page. Read Greek Democracy and Modern Democracy and Athenian Men s Club, and then answer the questions below. 3. Describe the differences between ancient Greek and present US democracy: A. SCALE - How was the scale of democracy different in Greek democracy and American democracy? # of people participating GREEK AMERICAN B. PARTICIPATION - How was participation in democracy different in Greek democracy and American democracy? HOW people participate GREEK AMERICAN C. ELIGIBILITY - Who was eligible to participate in Greek democracy verses American democracy? WHO was ALLOWED to participate GREEK AMERICAN Go to my website and click on the following link: Read Greek Democracy: Transforming Government by scrolling though the box. As you read, answer the following questions: 4. KRATOS ( ) + DEMOS ( )= DEMOCRACY ( ) 5. When did Athens establish the first direct democracy?

5 Now click on We the People at the end of the article. Read We the people and answer the following questions: 6. When was the US democracy founded? 7. How is our democracy different from the direct democracy of ancient Greece? 8. Give data to support why a direct democracy would not work in the US as it did in ancient Greece. 9. Read the article Protests in Hong Kong and answer the following questions: - Why is China opposed to Hong Kong having democratic elections? - What are citizens of Hong Kong doing to show they are upset with the Communist government of China? 10. Read Privileges of Democracy and answer the following questions: - Which freedom do the people of Hong Kong want the most, and why would China find this dangerous? - Which freedom do you feel is most important to the success of a democracy and why? - What are some ways you can participate in democracy even though you can t vote yet?

6 READINGS This are from the websites above if you would rather read them this way than on the computer. What was Democracy like over 2400 years ago in ancient Athens? A form of direct democracy in ancient Greece was practiced in ancient city-state of Athens for about 100 years. It was an experiment. The people really liked it. How it worked is that all adult citizens had to take an active part in government (rule by many) if called on to do so. At this time, citizens were free men. Women, children, and slaves were not citizens, and thus could not participate or vote. Each year, there was a drawing. Five hundred (500) names were drawn from a pool of all the citizens of ancient Athens. Those 500 citizens had to serve for one year. During that year, they were responsible for making new laws and for changing old laws as they saw fit. But, nothing they did became law until all the citizens of Athens had a chance to vote yes or no. To vote, citizens had to attend the assembly on the day the vote was taken. The date was posted. It was not a secret, but you had to be present to vote. Majority ruled. This form of government is called a direct democracy. The famous Athenian, Pericles, said: "It is true that we (Athenians) are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not the few, with equal justice to all alike in their private disputes." This form of government came to an end in ancient Athens after Athens lost a war with Sparta. This was the Peloponnesian War. For a while, Athens was ruled by a small group of Spartans. For about 100 years, Athens had a direct democracy, or a government in which all citizens vote on rules and laws. We owe them a lot! It is one of their finest gifts! A representative democracy, like the government of the United States, is a government whose citizens vote for representatives. These representatives create and change the laws that govern the people.

7 Greek democracy and modern democracy The architects of the first democracies of the modern era, post-revolutionary France and the United States, claimed a line of descent from classical Greek demokratia - 'government of the people by the people for the people', as Abraham Lincoln put it. But at this point it is crucial that we keep in mind the differences between our and the Greeks' systems of democracy - three key differences in particular: of scale, of participation and of eligibility. First, scale. There were no proper population censuses in ancient Athens, but the most educated modern guess puts the total population of fifth-century Athens, including its home territory of Attica, at around 250,000 - men, women and children, free and unfree, enfranchised and disenfranchised. Of those 250,000 some 30,000 on average were fully paid-up citizens - the adult males of Athenian birth and full status. Of those 30,000 perhaps 5,000 might regularly attend one or more meetings of the popular Assembly, of which there were at least 40 a year in Aristotle's day. 6,000 citizens were selected to fill the annual panel of potential jurymen who would staff the popular jury courts (a typical size of jury was 501), as for the trial of Socrates. An Athenian men's club The second key difference is the level of participation. Our democracy is representative - we choose politicians to rule for us. Athenian democracy was direct and in-your-face. To make it as participatory as possible, most officials and all jurymen were selected by lot. This was thought to be the democratic way, since election favoured the rich, famous and powerful over the ordinary citizen. From the mid fifth century, office holders, jurymen, members of the city's main administrative Council of 500, and even Assembly attenders were paid a small sum from public funds to compensate them for time spent on political service away from field or workshop. The third key difference is eligibility. Only adult male citizens need apply for the privileges and duties of democratic government, and a birth criterion of double descent - from an Athenian mother as well as father - was strictly insisted upon. Women, even Athenian women, were totally excluded - this was a men's club. Foreigners, especially unfree slave foreigners, were excluded formally and rigorously. The citizen body was a closed political elite. Must use website can t copy and paste -

8 Protests in Hong Kong Citizens of China s most independent city protest against the central government OCT 01, 2014 By Cameron Keady with TIME and AP Reporting XAUME OLLEROS AFP/GETTY IMAGES Protesters gather in the central business district of Hong Kong on October 1, For the past week, pro-democracy protesters have filled the streets of Hong Kong, China. Their goal is to have true democracy in Hong Kong, said one protester. October 1 is China s annual National Day. This year marks 65 years since the founding of the People s Republic of China. With city residents off work for the holiday, the protest has grown to its largest numbers yet. A Complicated History After ruling Hong Kong for 156 years, Britain returned control of the former colony to China in Since then, the city has been run according to a one country, two systems principle. This means that it enjoys more freedom and democracy than the rest of the Communist country. As part of this policy, Hong Kong s citizens were promised that they would be allowed to democratically elect a leader in But Beijing, the Chinese capital, has rejected open nominations for the upcoming election. The central government sees Hong Kong s independence as a threat to the country s power. It wants to stop Hong Kong from moving forward with this policy. Some citizens are unhappy to have this promised right denied, and have begun marches and demonstrations in protest. They are also calling for Hong Kong s unpopular leader to resign, or give up his position. The Future of Hong Kong The protest is made up of mostly young Hong Kong residents. Some college students have boycotted class, and others have gained support from fellow Hong Kong residents and political activists. The movement began peacefully, but tensions have increased. Within the first few days police arrested dozens of protesters for offenses including assault and disorderly conduct. At least 83 people have been injured since the protest began, including police officers and government staff and guards, authorities said. As other regions of China celebrate National Day, tensions in Hong Kong remain high. In China, people think Hong Kong belongs to China. But people in Hong Kong think that Hong Kong is part of China, but belongs to the world, Julian Lam, a 20-year-old student, tells TIME. Late on September 30, a downpour of rain fell on Hong Kong. The crowds chanted, We will stay here until the end despite the weather!

9 Privileges of Democracy The rights and responsibilities that make up a democratic system are not unlimited, of course. Some restrictions are necessary. There are limits of fair play, of common sense, of safety. While people in a democracy are free, they may not injure the health or the good name of others. Recognizing these necessary limits, let us examine the substance of democracy. Freedom of Speech and the Press This means that all citizens have the right to speak their minds without fear of punishment. A person who cannot speak freely cannot think freely. The term "freedom of speech" includes freedom of expression in forms of communication such as television, radio, and films. It extends to the arts theater, dance, music, literature, painting. The right of free speech, press, and thought includes the right to publish and read newspapers, magazines, and books. It includes the right to disagree, to take a different view from the popular, accepted one. In a democracy a citizen may express an opinion even though it is contrary to the opinion of others. Freedom of Assembly Citizens in a democracy may join in a meeting or convention to support their government or to criticize it, to debate foreign policy, to start a new political party, or to reshape an old one. They may discuss controversial issues that are important to them. They may argue, pass resolutions, or send petitions to the mayor, the governor, or even to the president. Popular Sovereignty This is the heart of democracy. It means that the people are supreme not a king, not a leader, not a clique of despots, but the people. Popular sovereignty gives to the voters the right to keep their officials in office or to vote them out. Balloting is free, and it is secret. The privacy of every voter is assured. Officials in a democracy are responsible to the people. When the officials' terms are over, they must go before the people for re-election. They have no hereditary rights in their jobs. They may not hold office by force or fraud. Political Freedom Citizens in a democracy may belong to the party of their choice. This may be a major party Democratic or Republican in the United States or a minor party. The minor parties may propose ideas that are unpopular or even freakish. But citizens are free to vote for them just the same. Often a major party supports an idea that was first suggested years earlier by a minor party. Civil Rights These include the right to vote, to hold office, to have a fair trial, to enjoy the privileges of full citizenship. Religious Freedom The Constitution of the United States prohibits government support to any religion or interference with anybody's religious beliefs. People may not be barred from holding office because of their religion or lack of religion. Some democracies England, for example support a state church. But religious freedom is guaranteed to all.

10 Freedom of Movement All citizens in the United States may choose the city or state where they want to live. They are free to move about the country if they wish. They need neither permission nor passport. Economic Opportunity In a democracy, people may go into business for themselves. If they prosper, they enjoy the rewards that go with success. If they fail, they may try again or change their work. The decisions, the risks, and the rewards are their own. Workers may join unions. They may strike without losing their rights as citizens. In a democracy, people may seek work in any profession, craft, or industry, without regard for race, creed, or sex. People may work in private industry or become civil servants. The choice of occupation is theirs based on their own abilities. Education A democracy provides equal educational opportunities for all of its citizens, without regard for race, creed, color, or social position.