Comparative Governmental Systems: Ancient and Modern

Paper Summary:

Some of the key features of both "democracy" and the American Constitution have their origins in ancient history. If one looks at Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, and India, we may discover traces of democratic thought that precipitated the rise of each of those lands and peoples. The paper shows, however, that many of the critical threads of Western political thought can be directly catalyzed by the very birth of Western society in the classical civilizations of Ancient Greece and Rome. The paper traces concepts of democracy and citizenship from ancient times and shows how they affected modern forms of government, in particular, the American Constitution and Britain's Houses of Lords and Commons.

From the Paper:

"In effect, this republic-representative democracy was therefore established in which the people chose representatives to run the state for them. The Roman Republic was a government headed by elected leaders, yet real power was held by the Senate, which represented the upper class, and two consuls, who served as heads of state. If we examine Ancient Roman society even further, we can identify origins of the United States Constitution: the Bill of Rights. For instance, the rights of all citizens were protected by a code of laws known as the Twelve Tables of Law."

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