Aim: Is Democracy the best form of government?
• Do Now: List the “powers of the people” in a
democracy.
Democracy
What continents have the
most freedom? Which have
the least freedom?
The First Democracies
Athens and the United States were the earliest democracies; how
many years passed between the two democratic civilizations?
Recent Democratic Revolutions
Why do you
think the people
of Egypt and
Libya demanded
democracy?
What point is the
cartoonist
making about
Syria and it’s
leader?
Spreading Democracy?
Where did this happen?
Do you agree with the U.S.
spreading democracy to other
countries?
Create the T-Chart below and list the pros and cons of a
democratic form of government while you view and discuss the
next slides.
Pros and Cons of Democracy
• Pros
• Cons
Benefits of Democracy
What does this
statue say about
justice in a
democracy?
When things are tough
and people get
impatient with the slow
progress of democracy
they sometimes turn to
people like these guys
for a quick fix.
Problems with Democracy
More on this later
Why is majority rule a benefit and
a problem?
Which type of government is
quicker when it comes to getting
things done: a democracy or a
dictatorship (rule by one)?
Activity
• Read the documents on democracy and
answer the questions
• Writing Activity – Write a paragraph where
you evaluate the benefits and problems
with democracy.
Pericles on Athenian Democracy
• “Our constitution is called a democracy
because power is in the hands not of the
minority but of the whole people…. When it is
a question of putting one person before
another in positions of public responsibility,
what counts is not membership of particular
class, but the actual ability which the man
possesses. No one, so long as he has it in him
to be of service of the state, is kept in political
obscurity because of poverty.”
• Speech by Pericles in Thucydides’ History of
the Peloponnesian War
The Old Oligarch on Democracy
Why did democratic
governments believe a
free public education is
essential?
• “Everywhere on earth the best element
(group of people) is opposed to democracy.
For among the best people there is … care
for what is good, whereas among the [rest of
the] people there is a maximum of
ignorance, disorder, and wickedness; for
poverty draws them rather to disgraceful
action and because of a lack of money some
men are uneducated and ignorant.”
• - Old Oligarch, Constitution of the Athenians
Document Based Questions
• Why does Pericles think democracy is good
system of government?
• What problems does the Old Oligarch see
with democracy?
• Who do you agree with more on democracy,
Pericles or the Old Oligarch? Explain your
answer
Summary
• Share out – Lets get some volunteers to
read what they wrote.
• Aim Question