What was the 1st democracy in history?
Ancient Greece
Athens is among the first recorded and one of the most important democracies in ancient times; the word "democracy" ( Greek: δημοκρατία - "rule by the people") was invented by Athenians in order to define their system of government, around 508 BC.
In the year 507 B.C., the Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia, or “rule by the people” (from demos, “the people,” and kratos, or “power”). It was the first known democracy in the world.
democracy, literally, rule by the people. The term is derived from the Greek dēmokratia, which was coined from dēmos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”) in the middle of the 5th century bce to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens.
The United States is a representative democracy. This means that our government is elected by citizens. Here, citizens vote for their government officials. These officials represent the citizens' ideas and concerns in government.
Thousands of years later, in the 6th century BCE, a relatively democratic form of government was introduced in the city-state of Athens by Cleisthenes.
The history of direct democracy amongst non-Native Americans in the United States dates from the 1630s in the New England Colonies.
- Direct democracy.
- Representative democracy.
- Constitutional democracy.
- Monitory democracy.
Consensus democracy – rule based on consensus rather than traditional majority rule. Constitutional democracy – governed by a constitution. Deliberative democracy – in which authentic deliberation, not only voting, is central to legitimate decision making.
No form of government or system is perfect, only better governance can be worked for. We can only say that the USA is the oldest democracy. While India is the largest democracy, and the UK is an example of a constitutional monarchy with the rule of law.
| Title page of Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville, printed at New York, 1838 | |
|---|---|
| Author | Alexis de Tocqueville |
| Publication date | 1835–1840 |
| Original text | De la démocratie en Amérique at French Wikisource |
| Translation | Democracy in America at Wikisource |
Where was the first real democracy?
The concepts (and name) of democracy and constitution as a form of government originated in ancient Athens circa 508 BCE.
The law does not require citizens to vote, but voting is a very important part of any democracy. By voting, citizens are participating in the democratic process. Citizens vote for leaders to represent them and their ideas, and the leaders support the citizens' interests.
According to World Forum on Democracy, electoral democracies now represent 120 of the 192 existing countries and constitute 58.2 percent of the world's population.
word democracy describes a form of government. The word comes from two Greek words that mean “rule by the people.” In a democracy the people have a say in how the government is run. They do this by voting, though there are usually rules about who can vote. Democracies are different from dictatorships.
- Bahrain – Political parties are banned; candidates must be independent.
- Kuwait – Political parties are banned; candidates must be independent.
- Oman – Political parties are banned.
- Qatar – Political parties are banned.
- Saudi Arabia – Political parties are banned.
Democracy has various forms like direct and indirect democracy but the most commonly found is Indirect democracy which is also known as representative democracy where the people elect the Representative for their country for a fixed Time Period . Representative democracy is more accountable and answerable.
Examples: Colombia, Vietnam. Democratic collapse (leading to civil war or coup d'état). Examples: Nigeria, Nepal. Succession or reform crisis in authoritarian states.
According to the Democracy Index, Norway was deemed the most democratic country in 2021. Countries are given a score from 0 to 10 with scores closer to 10 meaning the country is more democratic.
The first known democracy in the ancient world was in Athens, Greece. Athenian democracy is said to have evolved around the fifth century BCE.
The concepts (and name) of democracy and constitution as a form of government originated in ancient Athens circa 508 BCE.
Where does democracy come from?
The word 'democracy' has its origins in the Greek language. It combines two shorter words: 'demos' meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state and 'kratos' meaning power or rule.