Week three: Democracy, Oligarchy and Dictatorship Flashcards
(12 cards)
What does statis mean?
Civil war
What is characteristics of an Oligarchy in ancient Greece?
Election preferred over selection by lot
Eligibility to elect officials restricted to citizens with a certain amount of personal wealth
Office terms could be long, often with possibility of re-election
service as an official was unpaid
What are characteristics of a Democracy in ancient Greece?
Any adult male citizen over the age of 18 could take part.
Office filled by selection of lot rather than election. - LOTTERY
The same man could not hold the same office twice and not in consecutive terms: except for a few highly specialied offices such as the general ships and finance offices.
Terms were short, Athens had one year, other city states even had six months
Decision making of a Democracy in ancient Greece?
Courts are manned by ordinary citizens without property qualifications, with judges appointed from among all citizens
popular court pass judgement on all or most matters.
Assembly, all over 18 have access, decide most or all matters
Payment for political participation and administrative participation, which allows poor to partake.
Decision making of an Oligarchy?
Access to assemebly meetings restricted to citizens with a certain amount of personal wealth.
The Assembly had limited powers, some yes or no
The law courts were manned by citizens who possessed a certain amount of personal wealth.
How can different Oligarchies and Democracies differ from their own kind?
- Oligarchies would permit alll citizens, regardless of personal wealth, to participate in assembly meetings while not permitting to hold office
- Some Oligarchies operated with a very low property threshold of eligibility.
- Some oligarchies (many) restricted the length of the officials term of office
- Some Democracies would restrict certain offices to citizens with a certain amount of personal wealth.
Advantages of an Oligarchy?
- Lower costs of running political institutions (as it was unpaid)
- Better educated decision-makers
- Better quality of debate facilitated by a smaller decision-making body.
- More experienced executive and judicial branch of government; more continuity.
Disadvantages of an Oligarchy?
- Exclusion of majority of citizens from which decisions would affect lives directly. Plus, elite may rule in their advantage not others.
- infighting among elite - destabilisation
- long serving officials able to consolidate and abuse power (bribery, nepotism, embezzlement)
- wealth doesn’t imply wisdom.
Advantages of Democracy?
- Every citizen has a say in his own destiny and contribute to debates
- Majority decisions heighten the likely hood that its in the interest of the community.
- Heavy rotation of office hold reduces risk that power become abused
- large decision making bodies and large jury panels reduce the risk of corruption.
Disadvtanges of Democracy?
- Majority citizen population dont have access to good education.
- appointing officials by lottery increases risk of an incompetent person being given great responsibility.
- Poor majority may ignore the interest of wealthy.
- Rotation of officials means a lack of expertise in different areas of public administration.
What is a liturgy?
Form of sponsorship which wealthy are required to take on: two most important are military and religious
In addition to these sponsorships, the wealthiest part of the population would also be subject to the imposition of special war taxes.
What kind of tax did Greek communities rely on?
Indirect taxation: levied taxes on imports, exports since they relied on grain to feed their population.
There were also many taxes levied on production within the poleis, including food.
this affected both poor and rich.
