Theories of democracy

Democracy has been emanated from Ancient Greece. However other cultures have considerably contributed to the development of democracy such as Ancient Rome, Europe, and North and South America. The notion of representative democracy arose largely from ideas and institutions that developed during the European Middle Ages and the Age of Enlightenment and in the American and French Revolutions. Democracy has been called the "last form of government" and has spread considerably across the globe. The right to vote has been expanded in many Jurisdictions over time from relatively narrow groups (such as wealthy men of a particular ethnic group), with New Zealand the first nation to grant universal suffrage for all its citizens in 1893.

Democracy first thrived in the Greek city-state, city-state in ancient Greece, Italy, and Medieval Europe, an independent political unit consisting of a city and surrounding countryside. The first city-states were in Sumer, but they reached their peak in Greece.

1. Classical democracy: The classical democracy was direct democracy and Athens was the abode of such a democracy. There were, besides Athens, other Greek city states but among all the city states Athens was most prominent and powerful. Direct democracy in Athens developed in between 800-500 BCE (Before Christ Era).

There the citizens, as members of the assembly, participated directly in the making of their laws. A democracy of this sort was possible only in a small state where the people were politically educated, and it was limited since the majority of inhabitants were slaves or noncitizens. Athenian democracy fell before imperial rule, as did other ancient democracies in the early Italian cities and the early church. In this period and in the middle Ages, ideas such as representation in government, the term used to designate the means by which a whole population may participate in governing through the device of having a much smaller number of people act on their behalf. Crucial to modern Western democracy were developed. When the Greeks created the first democracy known to mankind, they envisioned it would be one with much citizen participation. Citizens would express their opinions, debate, and vote in a system now called a Classical Democracy.

Athenian Democracy:

The self-governing government of Athens were dependent on three main institutions. These three pillars of democracy were: the Assembly of the Demos, the Council of 500, and the People’s Court. These were accompanied by the Council of the Areopagus, the Archons, and the Generals. Actual legislation involved both the Assembly and the Council, and ad hoc boards of “Lawmakers.” In the 5th century BC, Athens pioneers an experiment in direct democracy, as opposed to the representative democracy of modern societies. It is imitated by her Greek allies and colonies at the time, but it has rarely been attempted anywhere else. Democracy of this kind has two preconditions. The community must be small enough for citizens to be proficient in attending debates and voting on issues. And its economy must give these citizens enough leisure to engage in politics; in the ancient world this means that there must be slaves to do most of the work. Both circumstances prevailed in Athens.