Roots of Democracy
World History
Castro
Island Reflection Questions
 If
this were a true experience, what
parts of this activity do you think
would be needed (rules, laws, rights,
etc…)? Why?
 Based
on your above answer, why do
you think all nations/peoples develop
some type of government?
Island Questions
 Give
an example during the activity when a
majority of the class agreed upon a decision.
 What are some advantages and
disadvantages to everybody having a say in
the decision?
 Give an example during the activity when one
person made decisions, or tried to make
decisions, for the entire class.
 What are some advantages and
disadvantages to one person making
decisions?
Two Categories of Government
 Democracy
– Government by the
people / Decisions made by the
people
 Autocracy
- Government by one
person (King / Queen / Emperor /
Pharaoh)
Decision Making
Autocratic or Democratic?
 Teacher
decides there will be a test
on Friday
 Group of Friends decide on which
movie to go to by discussing three
possible movies and voting on which
one they want to see.
 Fast food Manager decides to give
workers a dollar per hour raise
Autocratic or Democratic?
 Parents
listen to daughter complain about
staying out late and decide to let child stay
out 1 hour later.
 Parents allow all 3 children to choose (vote)
what vacation to go on.
 Mayor, elected by citizens, decides to build
a new city hall
 Citizens voted in favor of a city tax measure
to increase funding to schools
Autocratic Advantages
Efficient
Order
Changes
can Happen Quickly
Autocratic Disadvantages
Needs
a Strong Leader
Decisions may not be interest
of everyone
Too much power leads to
corruption
Democratic Advantages
Everyone
has a say
Corruption more difficult
Power too diffuse
Democratic Disadvantages
Messy,
takes time
Sometimes hard to make
difficult decisions
Need an Educated Citizenry
Autocratic forms of
Government
Theocracy
Monarchy
Tyranny
Oligarchy
Aristocracy
Democratic forms of
Government
Direct
Democracy
Republic
Parliamentary System
Constitutional Monarchy
Anarchy
Total
Lack of Government
(State of Nature)
No Rules, No Leaders
Democracy
Rule
by the masses/people
No Leader All Decisions made by
the community
Created in ancient Athens
True Democracies only work in
small groups
Republic
Rule
by People’s
Representative
Created in Ancient Rome
–Senator = Representative
Theocracy
Rule
by Religion
Leader: The Priest or Main
Religious Figure
Examples: Ancient Egypt,
Modern Iran, Vatican City
????????
What
would be some
problems with having
government based on a
single religion?
Monarchy
Rule
by a single leader,
typically claims Divine
Right
Oligarchy
Rule
by a few
individuals
Aristocracy
Rule
by the Wealthy
Athenian Democracy
(Solon, Cliesthenese, and
Pericles)
Athenian Democracy
(Solon, Cleisthenese, and Pericles)
Greek Leader
Solon
Cliesthenese
Pericles
Contribution to Democracy
Solon
 Outlawed
Slavery
 4 Classes based on Wealth not
Heredity
 Only 3 Higher classes were able to
hold public office
 Fairer code of laws
 Despite reforms Athens continued to
be an autocracy
Cleisthenese
 Reorganized
Assembly
 Allowed all citizens to submit laws
for debate and passage
 Created Council of 400
–Advised Assembly
–Seen as Founder of Greek
Democracy
Pericles
 Led
Athens in Golden
Age 461-429 B.C
–Established Direct
Democracy
–Increased number
of public officials
–Poorer citizens were
able to participate
Greek Philosophy

Greek Thinkers
Assumptions
– 1.Universe is orderly
– 2.People can understand
order of universe

Respect for Human
Intelligence and Reason
allowed Democracy to
flourish
Aristotle vs. Plato
Plato
Major Works
Beliefs about
Man
Beliefs about
Government
Beliefs about
democracy
Summary of
Primary Source
Aristotle
Plato
“The Republic”
 Rule of Philosopher Kings

– Democracy = Rule of the Appetites
– Aristocracy= Rule of the Rich
Aristotle
“Politics”
 Man is by nature political
 Legitimate Government- common good

– Tyranny?, Democracy?

Constitutional Government
Roman Republic
Roman Society was
made of Plebians and
Patricians
 Rome’s Republic

– Senate
– 2 Consuls
– Assembly
– Dictator
Roman Law
Twelve Tables step toward fair
government
Complied into “Justinian Code”
“government of laws not men”
Judaism
Hebrew’s Monotheism
-Created in God’s image, live moral
lives
- “Divine Spark”
- God Given Rights, Freedom
- 10 Commandments
- Ethical vs. Legal Code
Christianity
Jesus of Nazareth
- emphasized morality equality and
compassion
- spread of Judeo-Christian ideas through
Roman Empire
Renaissance
Renewed interest in
Classical Culture
 Humanism
 Italian vs. Northern
Renaissance
 Spread of Ideas
through Printing Press

Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci
Raphael Sanzio
Francesco Petrarch
Giovanni Boccaccio
Niccolo Machiavelli
Albrecht Durer
Jan Van Eyck
Pieter Bruegel
Desiderius Erasmus
Thomas More
William Shakespeare
Reformation

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses
– Individuality and freedom from
Church
England’s Protestant Revolution
 Calvinism
 Catholic Reformation

England’s Medieval Democratic
Developments

Henry II
– Jury System
– Common law

King John
– Magna Carta (Great Charter)
 Contract between King and Nobles
 Governance according to law
 Due Process of Law
 Consent of Governed (Parliament)
England’s Civil War
King James I and Divine Right
 Charles I and the Petition of Right
 1642- Charles tries to Arrest Parliament
 1642-1649 English Civil War

– Royalists/Cavaliers vs. Roundheads
– 1649 Roundhead victory under Oliver
Cromwell’s Leadership
– 1649 Charles I Beheaded
England’s Glorious Revolution
Cromwell first establishes a commonwealth
 Cromwell tears up constitution and becomes
Lord Protectorate

– Puritan Morality

Restoration of the Monarchy = Charles II
– Habeas Corpus
Rule of James II
 William and Mary and the Glorious
Revolution

– Bill of Rights, Cabinet System