How democratic was Britain by 1928? Democracy is a System of government “of the people, by the people, for the people” (Abraham Lincoln). In 1851, Britain was not a very democratic country since the vast majority of its adult population were disenfranchised. However, a number of reforms were passed which gradually helped Britain meet the 7 “hallmarks” of democracy. These include the franchise, a fair voting system, accountability, a choice of party, access to information, a national party system and participation – the right to stand for election to parliament.
Any comment about a social, religious or minority group can only be generalised when referring to its voting habits and so the following comments can only be taken as a generalisation. Logic dictates that not all African Americans or women vote Democrat. But the trends indicate that a large proportion of each group does. Another issue which has to be addressed by both parties was the large degree of absenteeism at the voting booths in 1996 and 2000. Is the explanation for 1996 that it was a ‘forgone conclusion’ sufficient to explain why half of all registered voters did not vote?
For centuries, certain classes in society have been restricted from participating in government-related activities such as taxes, voting, education, military, jury duty, etc. Many past societies have debated on whether or not all members of society should play a role in government, including the times of the French Revolution and Absolutism. All members of society should play a role in government. Most past societies viewed that the role of citizens in government affairs is foolish and unnecessary. The French Revolution had an assembly of all the estates of France called the Estates General, where the 3 Estates were able to vote separately; however each estate only had one third of the vote.
DBQ essay: Classical comparison Greece more effectively reflects the political, social and economic configuration of the United States than Rome. Both Greece and Rome had political structures similar to that of the U.S., however Greece was more similar overall. In Rome around 137 BC, a common currency was used (7). They minted coins with a picture of what appears to be a person voting. This resembles to the U.S. because the people vote on political leaders and laws.
Levinson (2006) writes, “the citizens of Athens, the "demos," consisted of a privileged class that excluded women, slaves, farmers, and those who worked by the sweat of their brow,” (p. 1). They also had a difference, Athens had no king, but Sparta had two kings, their educational systems were also different, Sparta adopted the Agoge compulsory education system, while Athens male citizens " studied arithmetic, rhetoric geometry, drawing, and music in the morning and gymnastics in the afternoon," (Farah & Karls, 1999, p. 123), an educational system that encouraged architectural grandeur and democratic
The Roman Republic was republic and only wealthy men could be emperors while Han China was a dynasty were the son of the previous king would take the throne. The social orders of these Classical Empires were different. In the Roman Empire, once a slave was free they could become wealthy merchants. Lastly, another difference is the way each classical empire treated slaves. In Rome, slaves had no right or freedom and in the Han Dynasty
The bureaucrats would have to go through an early form of a civil service exam in order to earn a lawmaking position at stages of government, such as local, regional, and federal. However, Stearns describes the Han Empire as the largest political system in the classical world. Stearns’s bias can be seen here and must be considered. (Doc. 7)However, Classical Athens’s government is a democracy, not entirely a modern democracy like the United States, but was nonetheless
During the Revolutionary era, a democracy was established. A democracy is where all the people have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. The people of the United States hold elections, and it is through the elected officials that most decisions are made. Currently, the government is based upon the separation of powers, and there are three branches in the government. The legislative branch is responsible for making the laws.
In this way, Cleisthenes moved Athens from an oligarchy to a democracy. | |Athenian democracy was, by nature, a direct democracy, unlike the modern representative democracy of America. In most | |cases, Athenians did not vote for representatives – but voted directly on the decisions of Athens. Go to war with Sparta – | |they voted. Build a navy – they voted.
The Greeks were a democratic society, believing that the power should be given to a group of men instead of only a single leader. The Greek society was a city-state society, meaning that each city, like Athens and Sparta, would operate like an independent nation; each one of them having their own government. The Roman society was first established as a republican society and then later becoming an empire. The Roman republican “Entrusted executive responsibilities to two consuls who wielded civil and military power. Consuls were elected by an assembly dominated by the wealthy classes, known in Rome as the patricians” (Bentley, Ziegler & Streets, 2008, Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History, “The Roman Republic and its