What Cleisthenes did was a huge step forward - getting “regular folks” involved in governing.
But this
first democracy had its limits.
- citizens could participate - but only one-fifth of Athenians were citizens (free adult male property owners born in Athens)
- after several years, Athens practiced a direct democracy
- it’s where the state (or in this case, the city-state) is ruled by its citizens
- rule is based on citizenship
- majority rule decides vote
- in the agora, citizens argued, made speeches, then voted with white stones (yes) / black stones (no)
- it was first practiced in Athens under Cleisthenes by around 500 BCE
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