The major powers, on the other hand, would prefer a multipolar system in which they could pursue their interests, unilaterally and collectively, without being subject to constraints, coercion, and pressure by the stronger superpower (Huntington, 1999). Though these are not very far away from each other, there are many differences between these two states. The gravitation towards elitism being shared between many citizens of both democracies. Spartan society, on the other hand, was a militant society whose economy was based on farming and conquering. This essay will compare and contrast the ancient governments, namely monarchy, aristocracy, tyranny, oligarchy and democracy in Ancient Greek city states., Athenian democracy ensures that a citizen in a society acts according to what society deems appropriate rather than by an individual's assumptions of what is acceptable. Sparta and Athens had similar forms of government; both city states were in part governed by elected assemblies. The Athenian sense of empire as destiny and the resultant foreign policy following the Persian War are similar to efforts by the United States to promote democratic values worldwide and of an American foreign policy that has become increasingly confrontational in the years since the end of the Second World War. The United States differs from Greece in important ways. Ancient Athens was an extreme example of direct democracy, in which every citizen was eligible to vote on nearly every decision made in government, and all officials were decided by random lot. A balance of power in which the two world leaders fought each other off and on is reminiscent of the struggles between Athens and Sparta in the years between the Persian War and the Peloponnesian War. Once men break with tradition, venturing upon a colossal political experiment, they lose the ability to navigate. Pillar, P. (2001). Cons : The information was not what I was looking for. The Daily Signal depends on the support of readers like you. They lose their sense of proportion, their sense of right and wrong. In the US when citizens are 18 and older they are granted the right to vote. Here are the basic parameters: Any citizen could initiate a trial (there were no public prosecutors in Athens) simply by registering it with the magistrate under whose jurisdiction it fell; the magistrate would preside over a trial to be judged by a jury of 200+ randomly selected men who would listen first to . Cons : Inconclusive. The gentle lifting of warm, moist air as it moves up and over colder air will form _____. He also contributed greatly by promoting the idea of a direct democracy. Among the demands arenational asset sales (including privatization of Greeces power distribution network), labor-market reforms, reductions in public pensions and an increase in the national sales tax. In todays world, dominated by an American superpower, the United States is naturally thought of as an immediate threat to all other major nation-states. The image in document 3 shows a photo or drawing on pottery of slaves working really hard at their job and peasants at a market. Ancient Athens defined their citizens as any male who is 18 years old or older, and has citizen parents. First off, democracy is a system of government in which power is invested in the people who rule either directly or through freely elected represenative. Socrates, a Greek philosopher, is a firm believer in examining one's actions in life and ensuring that a morally righteous life is being led. :-) Essay #2 The governments of Athens and the United States have many similarities Cons : The bipolar world that existed following the Allied victory in 1945 eventually came to an end as the poor economic conditions in Eastern European countries dragged down the Soviet economy, forcing Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to release his communist empire in an effort to save his government at home. Alexander, B. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 1 = one. 316 Words. They both had the same method of voting the governors and the president of their country by grouping many people of citizen as much as they can.But the Athens had no free choice to vote as like the South Korea. In a republic, citizens still have high power but use that power to elect representatives to govern the state. Can wars of this kind happen again? As Samuel Huntington states, The United States would clearly prefer a unipolar system in which it would be the hegemon and often acts as if such a system existed. 1 How is Athens and the United States similar? Pericles, an Athenian statesman, makes it clear when he says that "each individual is interested not only in his own affairs but in the affairs of the state as well" (p.147 Thucydides). Rather than being revolutionaries, they were reactionaries who believed in the wisdom of the past. More than half of the U.S. debt is held by creditors within its borders, rather than by foreign entities. Without the support of people, action could not happen because not mattering the class structure everyone has an individual power. Athens had become the most powerful city in the Greek world, energized by a new form of liberty. It was a big contribution because our government today consists of three separate branches also., Athenian Democracy VS Unites States Democracy. One unfair thing was that only males who were citizens were allowed to vote, no women, no men who werent citizens. The predicament of the United States in the years since the end of the Cold War is similar to that expressed by Athenian businessmen speaking in Sparta in Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War, It was the actual course of events which first compelled us to increase our power to its present extent: fear of Persia was our chief motive, though afterwards we thought, too, of our own honour and our own interest. Athens was the centre for arts, learning and . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The hunger for power and greed is ever-present in the likes of both democracies. The Islamic extremists who hijacked airliners and crashed them into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center buildings in New York were opposed to the United States and all that it stood for. a falling barome Originally published in The National Interest, The Daily Signal depends on the support of readers like you. Caleb Carr asserts that, Epochal moments belong rightly to history, and it is history that holds the only hope of providing an understanding of the twisted road that has brought us to this frightening pass (Carr, p.5). This was one of the reasons that the terms in offices were short, in order to deter this human nature. The Athenians had discovered a new way to govern themselves. Earthquakes occurred, together with an unusual number of eclipses; and there were horrible outbreaks of plague. That is, every citizen voted on everything. In ancient Athens, all adult male citizens had the right to participate in the Assembly and vote on laws. Increased economic growth would also help reduce Greeces debt burdennow at about 175 percent of GDP. This religion contained many gods all lead by Zeus that all lived in a mystical realm on top of mount Olympus. However, it is important to note that . The U.S. economy is much larger and better diversified. Huntington, S. (1999). Rise of City-States: Athens and Sparta - USHistory.org. Like the Athenians of the fifth century B.C., we stand on the brink of the greatest commotion that ever happened. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The idea of free and fair elections as a democracy is simply giving a voice to everyone and giving them the opportunity to use it to influence government. , Pls explain Financial Sense Securities, Inc. But one thing is certain, given the march of time: The people of the United States have lost their moral center and are in danger of falling into a kind of chaos. Athens and America: Parallels in the Modern World, Columbus, Ohio: The Heart of Buckeye Beauty, History, and Culture, Some Common Ground for Liberals and Realists, Taliban Infiltrates South Dakota Legislature, The Captivity Stories of John Tanner, Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca and Olive Oatman. Growing spending on public benefits threatens to overwhelm the U.S. economy in the long term. Chinas Xi Set to Consolidate Control as Legislature Convenes, America Not Past Her Prime, Nikki Haley Tells CPAC, Merrick Garlands Unsatisfactory Answers to Senate Judiciary Committees Legitimate Questions. Athens and America are not the same. Although the form of democracy in the United States and ancient Athens is very different, there are still similarities. Answer: Both governments were a democracy. This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent . The Athenian democracy and the Roman republic were two very different governments in practice, but also maintained similar characteristics in both systems of government. Additionally, Ober goes on to state If we take democracy to mean what ancient Greeks took it to mean political power wielded actively and collectively by the demos (i.e, all residents of the state who are culturally defined as potential citizens, regardless of their class or status) then Athens was a democracy. It hath been noted, wrote Hobbes, that Homer in poesy, Aristotle in philosophy, Demosthenes in eloquence, and others of the ancients in other knowledge, do still maintain their primacy: none of them exceeded, some not approached, by any in these later ages. The United States, like Athens, believes that its way of life holds the key to prosperity and liberty for other nations. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. When Spartan boys were being trained for an army, Athenian boys were being trained for life. The similarities do not end with the structure but also there are similarities how citizens view democracy and who should lead. In a national referendum shortly thereafter, the Greeks strongly rejected European conditions for receiving yet another bailout. Moreover, Athens' economy was mainly based on trade, whereas Sparta's economy was based on agriculture and conquering. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates in itsalternative fiscal scenariothat U.S. publicly held debt will grow to 180 percent (exceeding the current Greek level) by 2039. Carmen M. Reinhart, Vincent R. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff, as well as Manmohan S. Kumar, Jaejoon Woo, Stephen Cecchetti, Madhusudan Mohanty and Fabrizio Zampolli, report that advanced economies with high levels of debt (85-90 percent of GDP and higher) grow more slowly annually than their lower-debt counterparts. In many state and local elections, there are ballot questions in. Both city-states also had a system of conscription, in which all able-bodied men were required to serve in the military. Similarities between US and Athens are that US and Athens have a democracy. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. How are Athenian and American democracy different? In addition to a policy of preemption being exercised as part of the Global War on Terrorism, the United continues to intervene militarily in regions of the world where it feels its promotion of peace or human rights is more important than national sovereignty. More than 25 centuries ago a book began with these famous words: Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the war of the Peloponnesians and the Athenians. Here is a history of arrogance, empire and violence. Greece is a country united by its name, but divided by its ways. They also developed a strong military tradition that helped them become one of the most powerful states in the world. The policy of preemption made its debut in the form of the United States invasion of Iraq in March 2003. The two governments might be a little more democratic than the Federal Republic of the United States but its certain that they have been introduced., The first well-known democracy was in Athens. In Athens there was a remarkable politician named Pericles. Limited terms of office is another commonality between the two. The people of Athens believed it was their destiny to hold on to their empire and pushed their foreign policy to the limits in an effort to maintain their dominance. Let us describe what democracy and oligarchy are defined. It was a better way of life, they believed. Learn about the similarities and differences between life in Athens and life in Sparta. Following the conclusion of the Persian War, the common effort put forth by Athens and Sparta gave way to two separate factions, with some states choosing to side with Athens and other states choosing to side with Sparta. Major changes in the weather are indicated by _____. us domains must be U.S. citizens residents or organizations or a foreign entity with a presence in the United . Each city state had at least a partially elected government and a strong military, and both relied on the labor of slaves. During much of the Cold War, the United States focused on the containment of communism as part of a foreign policy designed to protect nations against domination by the Soviet Union (Alexander, 1995, p.22). July 19, 2015, Those worried about Greece should consider the fiscal pressures on the U.S. (Photo: Pacific Press/Sipa USA/Newscom), Romina Boccia Thucydides would probably agree, as expressed in his history when he stated about the Athenians, And when tremendous dangers are involved no one can be blamed for looking to his own interest (Thucydides, p.80). With the war in Iraq now over a year old, the United States finds itself facing an Iraqi people who, while grateful to be rid of Hussein, are increasingly resentful of the American occupation. How were the culture and government different in Athens and Sparta?
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