Comparison of Ancient & Modern Governments



Comparison of Ancient & Modern Governments

Introduction

The subject of the analogues between the modern and ancient democracy and has always been fashionable, although a debatable and controversial issue. The founding fathers of the United States claimed the first modern democracy of the world to be the inspiration from 'Greek's classical demokratia' which was describes by Abraham Lincoln as the principle of a modern democratic government which says, “Government of the people, by the people and for the people” (Grant, 2011, p. 923-934). Although the United States would exercise the democratic system of primeval Greece for the inspiration, it is significant to keep in mind that there are various differences flanked by United States government and the ancient government of more than 2000 years ago(Rodrigues, Ricardino, Martins, 2009).

Discussion

Techniques of democracy were very different in Ancient Athens than today in the modern countries like United States. Below mentioned are the key differences of the modern and the ancient democratic governments (Marshall, 2008).

People including the children, women, slaves and the resident aliens were prohibited to vote and did not have citizenship. This part of the ancient democratic system had no influence on the government (Grant, 2011, p. 923-934).

The political power isolation was absurd to the Greeks. Elections were held by a lottery or chance technique, and they select their military leaders personally like Pericles.  This typically democratic method was selected by many countries but it was a practice that portrays a standard of selection in an opinion opposed to the isolation of nationality and to the assumption that the democratic system is politically inept (Rodrigues, Ricardino, Martins, 2009).

In the classical Athenian democracy, citizenship was not catered by then social and economical rights and the class differences were directly affected by the democratic citizenship. The ancient democracy especially the ...