1. Athens and U.S.
Government
Topic: Polis or city-state
By Marilyn Arroyo & Aja Bonnett

2. Athen's Government
● Created the first democratic government

3. Athen's Government
● Only in Athens, and only for a short time, rule by many meant that all the
citizens had to be willing to take an active part in government

4. Athen's Government
● Athenian democracy did not really give power to everyone

5. Athen's Government
● A series of reforms took power from a handful of noble families and gave it
to citizenry

6. Athen's Government
● Athenian citizens directly participated in government themselves

7. Athen's Government
● To be a politician in Athens, someone would have to had to be an adult
male whose parents were both Athenians

8. Athen's Government
● No women, immigrants, or slaves were allowed to be a Athenian citizen

9. Athen's Government
● The government of Athens included three major bodies: the Assembly, the
Council of 500, and the People's Court

10. Athen's Government
● The Assembly- All male Athenian citizens were
members, the Assembly was the regular opportunity for
all male citizens of Athens to speak their minds and
exercise their votes regarding the government of their
city

11. Athen's Government
● The Council of 500- 10 tribes of Athens sent 50
citizens to serve on the Council of 500 each year, the
Councils main function was to set the agenda for the
Assembly

12. Athen's Government
● The Peoples Court- In the Peoples Court, juries of
citizens listening to class, determined whether their
fellow citizens were guilty or innocent of breaking laws
and set punishments for those found guilty

13. United States Government
● Congress makes the decisions in America, with some help from the
President

14. United States Government
● The real problem with American government is that it is not a democratic
as it should be

15. United States Government
● Americans strongly support democracy both at home and abroad

16. United States Government
● At a federal level, a bill can become a law if its signed by the President, or
if not signed by the President within 10 days and Congress is in session

17. United States Government
● Current calls for "less government" actually mean less power for elected
leaders and for the bureaucracies that serve them and more power for the
"oligarchy" of millionaires and corporations

18. United States Government
● Those who remember their civil classes will note that we have not a direct
but a representative democracy or a republic

19. United States Government
● People 18 or older are allowed to vote, and someone has to be over 35 to
be elected as President

20. United States Government
● The election of public officials and balance of power between the three
branches of government (executive, legislative, & judicial)

21. Comparison
● In America the President makes the decisions and the congress but in
Athens a group called the Assembly had 500 Athenian males to make
them

22. Comparison
● In America people 18 or older are allowed to vote and someone has to be
over 35 to be elected as President, otherwise Athens to be a politician
someone must have been an athenian male

23. Comparison
● Males were allowed to vote, but women, slaves, foreigners, and people
from other city-states were not allowed

24. Comparison
● Athens and America both have a democratic and republican party

25. Comparison
● Athenians did not have branches of government like the, American
government

26. Comparison
● Americans have officials to participate in government activity while the
Athenians citizens participated in government themselves

27. Comparison
● Some people aren't allowed to vote and in Athens

28. The
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