Comparison Of Democracy And Athenian Democracy

133 Words1 Pages
Some people think that ancient Athens was truly democratic, I think not. Democracy is the rule of the whole of the people,excluding minors and maniacs only. Democracy was rule by citizens only, excluding women, free foreigners (Metics) and slaves. By our understanding it was an oligarchy, not democracy.

Second, the rules were exercised directly by the people, whereas democracy today means government exercised by representatives of the people. Direct democracy has been made impossible by the size of modern nations.

The Athenian democracy is criticized for being both more democratic and less democratic than democracy. It is more democratic being the government by the people instead of government by those elected by the people. It is less