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Democracies/republic

Essay by   •  November 16, 2010  •  Essay  •  648 Words (3 Pages)  •  1,139 Views

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There is a fundamental difference between a democracy and a republic as it concerned the political entitlement of the citizenry. The citizens of a republic do not participate directly with governmental affairs. The citizens of a republic can however have a say in who does participate. The Roman republic has two prefect systems to prevent dictatorship which didn't work.

The Romans called their political system not democracy but republic. Republic is something that belongs to the people. In Rome the right to take part in the governing belonged only to the men and those who had the statute of being citizens. The differences of republic and democracy are because of the origin of the two terms Greek and Latin language. The ancient Greeks discarded the tyranny as well as the disorder. Plato as well as Aristotle stabilized the complete democracy which was not based on the laws, with the power of the crowd and considered it as a form of ruling based on the jealousy and sweet talk of demagogues. Both of them considered the democracy to be wrong kind of state governing. Plato considers the democracy as nice and various public orders but without the necessary governing. The main good of democracy is freedom.

Athenian democracy includes participation of all adult, free, male, citizen, made possible for all. If at the beginning and during the thriving period of the Athens democracy the occupations of a state position was considered to be an worthy duty for the citizens, the taking in of payments, when occupying a state position, gave rise to fundamentals, it lead to division of the citizens of the community in different indications. It resulted in corruption, dishonor of law and as a whole extends the frightening of the community, lessening of the control of the society over the private life of the individual. This is the reason why the principles and the institutions of the Athens democracy turned to be lifeless.

For Polybius the advantage of the roman republic over Athenian democracy was that, successively more people shared power as a safeguard against abuse until the immorality of democracy again led to conditions favorable for the receiving of the "Fuehrerpinzip." In his plan, there successively occur three "good" forms of government Ð'- kingship, aristocracy, and democracy Ð'- only for each to succumb to corruption and for its resulting understanding in its distorted form Ð'- respectively dictatorship,

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