ipl-logo

Roman Republic Checks And Balances

594 Words3 Pages

The Roman Republic was a magnificent political system with a lifespan of more than 500 years. Its impact on the modern world cannot be overestimated, as it served as a template for numerous democratic regimes all over the world. Nevertheless, historians cannot dispute the Republic’s eventual collapse, and several possible causes have been put forth. The rise of strong military leaders who overthrew the system of checks and balances that had previously kept the government in check is, in my opinion, the most significant cause that contributed to the fall of the Roman Republic. The Roman government was established in the early Republic on a complicated system of checks and balances that were meant to prevent any one person or party from acquiring excessive power. The Senate, popular assemblies, and magistrates were all under the control of …show more content…

Caesar proclaimed himself dictator for life after defeating his adversary Pompey in a civil war, essentially ending the Republic’s period of democratic rule. His murder in 44 BCE did not bring the Republic back to its former splendor since Octavian, his successor, eventually proclaimed himself emperor and founded the Roman Empire. There were numerous approaches to lessen the harm brought on by the emergence of strong military leaders (Coats, R. M., & Pecquet, G. M. 2013). First, the Senate should have taken stronger action to stop these leaders from usurping power by using their armies. Over time, the Senate’s influence had significantly decreased, and it was now more of a ceremonial assembly than a reliable check on the executive branch. The Senate might have been able to stop military leaders from obtaining excessive authority if it had continued to play a role in the

Show More
Related

How Democratic Was The Roman Republic Dbq

690 Words | 3 Pages

The Roman Republic was often known for its lasting influence for the development of Western political governance and ideals and is often hailed as a beacon of democracy in ancient history. But an in depth look reveals it to be more complex. While the Roman Republic held democratic elements that allowed citizen participation and representation, its political structure was ultimately characterized by a significant concentration of power among the elite and few for the average person. This essay will explore the extent of democracy within the Roman Republic, analyzing key aspects such as the electoral system, legislative bodies, and social hierarchy and the democratic nature and the implications it had on the overall governance of the state.

Read More

Understanding Of Checks And Balances In The Roman Constitution

284 Words | 2 Pages

1. Summarize Polybius’s understanding of the checks and balances in the Roman constitution. Why does he think it is one of the most stable forms of government? Which of the three aspects of the Roman constitution (monarchy, aristocracy, or democracy) does he think predominates in the Roman Constitution?

Read More

How Did Polybius Show The Perceptiveness Of Rome's Mixed Government

972 Words | 4 Pages

The kingship (or monarchy) would be represented by the consuls, the aristocracy by Senate, and democracy be represented by the assemblies. By complementing one another, this would ensure that the government would work efficiently without having any party rising to sole power. The effectiveness of this government was so overwhelming, even Polybius admitted that this led to “nearly the whole world fell under the power of Rome in somewhat less than 53 years – an event certainly without precedent” (Polybius, VI.

Read More

Roman Republic Checks And Balances

815 Words | 4 Pages

INTRODUCTION: According to (National Geographic Society, 2022). As the final Etruscan king of Rome was deposed, the Roman Republic was established in 509 BCE. With two representatives chosen by legislative assemblies to preside over the Roman Senate and lead the Roman military, the Roman government functioned as a representative democracy in the form of a republic. Nevertheless, the Roman Republic never aspired to be a direct democracy; instead, it had a fused government that combined elements of "kingship," "aristocracy," and democracy.

Read More

How Has The Punic Wars Changed Rome

1340 Words | 6 Pages

The Senate had become the governing body of the Rome through the initiatives taken. This was especially evident during the Punic Wars as the senate began to exercise more power from directing wars, taking control of both foreign and domestic policy, and managing financial affairs. The Senate became increasingly controlled by the nobiles, however, the plebeians began to lose a considerable amount of power after the Punic Wars. The patricians gained a vast amount of power from the accumulation of their wealth through the new economic opportunities. The effects of this rise to power was evident within the demise of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus.

Read More

Roman Republic Checks And Balances

332 Words | 2 Pages

The Republic had three main branches of government - the Senate, the magistrates, and the assemblies.

Read More

How Democratic Was The Roman Republic

744 Words | 3 Pages

Introduction The Roman Republic was established in 509 BCE, after a long struggle against kingship. The Roman Republic was characterized by elements of democracy, such as the election of officials and the creation of a representative government. However, the Republic was also marked by undemocratic practices, such as the exclusion of plebeians and women from political power. This paper will discuss the circumstances that led to the establishment of the Roman Republic, the democratic elements of the Republic, and the undemocratic practices that made the Republic questionable.

Read More

How Democratic Was The Roman Republic

791 Words | 4 Pages

The senate was the advisory board to the consuls. The senate was mostly made up of Aristocrats who served for life, and they were elected by the consuls (Shiffer, 2021). The senate was un-democratic due to the fact that they typically did not allow the plebians (regular Roman population) to join their ranks, as it was only meant for the elite of Rome. The senate routinely overstepped their boundaries when it came to making decisions in Rome, due to the fac that it was made up of mostly influential individuals. This was best emphasized when the senate was able to overrule the vote of the people to go to war against the Dalmatians, as they felt it would reinvigorate the troops of Rome (Brown, 2016).

Read More

Democratic Decision-Making In The Roman Republic

1137 Words | 5 Pages

Although some groups within the legislative body of the Republic had some overlap over another group, the duties and powers were distinct enough that the citizen body had some form of representation. Additionally, because of the veto powers that each group possessed, it could be presumed that if a group vetoed some legislation or policy because ot would not benefit the state, nor the citizen body, it would be fair to assume that the veto facilitates democratic decision making. The role of the veto had significant impact on the administration of legislation and policies, but ultimately allowed for a way to ensure democratic decision making within the Roman

Read More

Government Vs Roman Government Essay

883 Words | 4 Pages

The elected Magistrates and the the Senate, and the Assemblies and Tribunes each had certain roles in order to prevent any one person or group of people from gaining too much power. The Magistrates kept a check of the Senate, but at the same time the Senate did have the power to not give money to the magistrates, the assemblies had the right to reject laws that were approved by the Senate, and the Tribunes did have the power to veto officials' actions (Wasson, 2015). As it can be seen, this system is meant to provide room for each position to check one another so that one does not become more powerful than the

Read More

Democracy In The Roman Republic

621 Words | 3 Pages

From a non-subjective viewpoint, a democracy is allowing the people to have power and some control over the country. A Republic — which the Roman Republic was — on the other hand, is similar to what a democracy is except it protects the minority rights from the majorities. So, from the viewpoint of Roman Republic, a democracy is allowing the people in the Assemblies to grant office to those that deserve it, having the final say in passing or repealing laws, and making the final decision on peace or war. The Roman Republic did give evidence that they are a democracy such as allowing people the ability to vote and letting the people choose, however, there's also evidence on the Roman Republic not being democratic. Either side of the argument the claim is the Roman Republic was democratic.

Read More

Fall Of The Roman Republic Essay

665 Words | 3 Pages

The Romans’ Republic was a good political system at first. Ensuring that people had the say in the government by allowing them to choose who was in power. As time went on, issues did come to rise causing the fall of the Republic in Rome. Addressing these factors that came into play causing the fall of the Republic will be discussed in this learning journal. I will also discuss ways the Romans could have done to avoid these circumstances.

Read More

The Roman Republic Essay

662 Words | 3 Pages

Unit 4 Written Assignment HIST 1421 University of the People Instructor: Christopher Stender The Struggle Towards Democracy: The Road to the Establishment of the Roman Republic Rome's road to democracy was riddled with numerous struggles against kingship, as the people sought to establish a fair and equitable government that represented their best interests. In this paper, I will identify the circumstances that led to the establishment of the Roman Republic, the elements of the republic that made it democratic, and those that called into question its democratic nature.

Read More

How Were The Interconnected Political Offices In The Roman Republic

128 Words | 1 Pages

There were many different interconnected political offices available in the Roman Republic. There were three major branches: an executive branch consisting of two consuls, the senate, and multiple popular assemblies. The consuls served for one year, and they “ acted as head of the Republic, commanded the army, presided over the Senate and assemblies, executed decrees, and represented the Republic in foreign affairs.”. In the case of emergency, one consul member could become dictator for six months to solve an immediate crisis. Then there was the senate, which held the majority of the decision making power.

Read More

Which Elements Of The Roman Republic Made It Democratic?

627 Words | 3 Pages

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT UNIT 4 HIST 1421 GREEK AND ROMAN CIVILIZATION UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE INSTRUCTOR: CHRISTOPHER STENDER 5/3/2021 Circumstances that led to the establishment of the Roman Republic was overthrown of the Roman Kingdom, and the Romans conquered King Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the legendary seventh king and final king who reigned Rome for 25 years; he was the last of the monarchy when Rome transitioned to the Republic (Roman Republic (509 BC – 27 BC) - History of Rome, 2019). Which elements of the Republic made it democratic?

Read More

More about Roman Republic Checks And Balances

Related Topics

Open Document