  Began in Ancient Greece/Rome over 2500 years ago  Every citizen had the right and responsibility to participate in the city gov’t and all citizens had an equal vote, this is direct democracy  All citizens met to debate and vote first hand.  Would this work today? Why or why not?  Representative democracy: Citizens choose a smaller group to represent them in gov’t  The United States is the oldest representative democracy Foundations of Democracy

 Principles of Democracy 1.“Government of the people, by the people, and for the people”  Power comes from the people  Citizens run gov’t through their representatives  Government exists to make the US a better place for its citizens to live

 Principles of Democracy 2.Free, fair, and competitive elections must be held  One person = one vote  Candidates have the right to express views freely to the public  Legal requirements for voting must be kept at min. (age, residence, citizenship)  Vote freely by secret ballot

 Principles of Democracy 3.All people have equal opportunity to develop talents 4.Majority Rule: when differences arise we will abide by what most people want and still respect the rights of those in the minority  Rights of the minority can be difficult to maintain if society is under stress  Japanese after WWII and Muslims after 9/11