What did democracy really mean in Athens? - Melissa Schwartzberg
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Date: 2020-08-22
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Comments and reviews: 10
William
Yes, I think we should have election by lottery, but not directly to hold office but to have a chance to run for office.
It wouldn't take much change to our present system. Instead of a bunch of rich people deciding for themselves with a few thousand signatures, why not just let anyone who is qualified to hold the office submit their name as a candidate in the lottery stating which office and party they intend to run for? 4 candidates would be picked for each party and they would get equal funding from their party during the primary. Its simple and fair because it isn't dependant on wealth and limits the primary candidates to 4 making it less expensive as well as introducing diversity of ideas and oppinions.
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Yes, I think we should have election by lottery, but not directly to hold office but to have a chance to run for office.
It wouldn't take much change to our present system. Instead of a bunch of rich people deciding for themselves with a few thousand signatures, why not just let anyone who is qualified to hold the office submit their name as a candidate in the lottery stating which office and party they intend to run for? 4 candidates would be picked for each party and they would get equal funding from their party during the primary. Its simple and fair because it isn't dependant on wealth and limits the primary candidates to 4 making it less expensive as well as introducing diversity of ideas and oppinions.
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education
Professional politicians would just be a continuation of division of labour. We don't elect or choose by lottery police officers (except sheriffs in some areas) or dentists. Some countries have stronger democracies than the broken US system. New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland are good examples. Parties form naturally as like-minded people join together. By utilising this, parties can prevent demagogues that only want power and not to do the will of the people (represented through a party or coalition. Parliamentary systems provide the most safeguards, IMHO.
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Professional politicians would just be a continuation of division of labour. We don't elect or choose by lottery police officers (except sheriffs in some areas) or dentists. Some countries have stronger democracies than the broken US system. New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland are good examples. Parties form naturally as like-minded people join together. By utilising this, parties can prevent demagogues that only want power and not to do the will of the people (represented through a party or coalition. Parliamentary systems provide the most safeguards, IMHO.
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William
Correct me if Im Wrong but to win a seat in the house of lords in the UK you have to be specialized in something. I read that somewhere.
I wish our US senate was like that. I think most are just career politicians, children of rich businessmen, and lawyers. Only a few are Doctors.
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Correct me if Im Wrong but to win a seat in the house of lords in the UK you have to be specialized in something. I read that somewhere.
I wish our US senate was like that. I think most are just career politicians, children of rich businessmen, and lawyers. Only a few are Doctors.
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nike
Do we really want our leaders to be some random people elections are more democratic because the rulers are skilled statesmen governing by popular consent not some random people that may even have far left or fascist views. With election we are informed on the type of people governing us
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Do we really want our leaders to be some random people elections are more democratic because the rulers are skilled statesmen governing by popular consent not some random people that may even have far left or fascist views. With election we are informed on the type of people governing us
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Spencer
In Politics, Aristotle wrote, . the appointment of magistrates by lot is democratic, and the election of them oligarchic. Selecting public officials by lottery (i. e. sortition) is the defining characteristic of democracy. If you don't, it's not democracy.
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In Politics, Aristotle wrote, . the appointment of magistrates by lot is democratic, and the election of them oligarchic. Selecting public officials by lottery (i. e. sortition) is the defining characteristic of democracy. If you don't, it's not democracy.
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MathUDX
Unlike representative democracy today. Yeah, it's so unlike it because the Athenians were aware of electoral systems and literally considered them to be oligarchy. Representative democracy has always been an Orwellian distortion of the original concept.
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Unlike representative democracy today. Yeah, it's so unlike it because the Athenians were aware of electoral systems and literally considered them to be oligarchy. Representative democracy has always been an Orwellian distortion of the original concept.
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Sergio
180 dislikes are from Athenians that watched this video and recognized that what they thought it was going to be a good democracy, Ted-Ed is taking it as an example for telling us to dont follow theyre steps
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180 dislikes are from Athenians that watched this video and recognized that what they thought it was going to be a good democracy, Ted-Ed is taking it as an example for telling us to dont follow theyre steps
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education
If the people vote directly for things, is the boule just for policy and execution? If so, isn't 500 overkill? Never seen that many govt ministers. Think 15 would be sufficient.
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If the people vote directly for things, is the boule just for policy and execution? If so, isn't 500 overkill? Never seen that many govt ministers. Think 15 would be sufficient.
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kulgan18
Athens is the worse example of democracy. I mean considering the main historians and Philosophers from the time spoke against it, it must have been pretty bad.
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Athens is the worse example of democracy. I mean considering the main historians and Philosophers from the time spoke against it, it must have been pretty bad.
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Comrade
Im sorry but we dont live in representative democracy, most countries in the west are merely different shades of republics.
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Im sorry but we dont live in representative democracy, most countries in the west are merely different shades of republics.
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