1. The City-State Democracy
Chapter 11: Lesson 3
The City-State Democracy

2. Forms of Government
Each city-state of Greece was independent and the people of each one figured out what kind of government worked best for them
Earliest form of government in Greece was monarchy, or rule by a monarch
A monarch is a king or queen who has supreme power
Aristocracy is another name for the upper class or nobility
The aristocracy were people who were descended from high-born ancestors
In an aristocracy, people rule because of their inherited social class
Some city-states developed a political system called an oligarchy, which means “rule by the few”
In an oligarchy, people rule because of wealth or land ownership

3. Tyrants
Because poor people were not part of government, they often resented being shut out and often rebelled
A tyrant was someone who took power in an illegal way
Greek tyrants worked to help the poor and created building programs to provide jobs
Played an important role in the development of rule by the people and overthrowing the oligarchy
Showed that if common people united behind a leader, they could gain the power to make changes

4. Athens Builds a Limited Democracy
One of the major legacies of ancient Greece is the idea of citizenship, which they invented
A citizen is a person who is loyal to a government and how is entitled to protection by that government
To Greeks, a citizen was a person with the right to take part in ruling the city-state
Had to be born to parents who were free citizens
People of both upper and lower classes were citizens, but only upper-class citizens had power
During the 500s B.C., two leaders in Athens made gradual reforms that gave people more power: Solon and Cleisthenes

5. Solon and Cleisthenes The nobles elected Solon to lead Athens
Made reforms that helped prevent a revolt by the poor
Freed people who had become slaves because of debts and made a law that no citizen could be enslaved
Organized citizens into four classes based on wealth, not birth
Rich men had more power-yet this was still a fairer system than the old one that limited power to nobles
Allowed all citizens to serve in the assembly and help elect leaders
Cleisthenes increased the citizens’ power even more
Took power away from the nobles and organized citizens into groups based on place of residence, not wealth
Any citizen could now vote on laws

6. Direct Democracy
Athens moved toward an early form of democracy, a government in which the citizens make political decision
All the citizens meet to decide on the laws
Had a limited democracy meaning it did not include all of the people who lived in the city-state
Only free adult males were citizens who could take part in the government
Women, slaves, and foreigners could not take part

7. Classwork!!!
Please complete #2-7 on pg. 376 using complete sentences in your notebook. Due TODAY!!!!!