acropolis
a citadel or fortified part of an ancient Greek city, typically built on a hill.
agora
a central spot in ancient Greek city-states. The literal meaning of the word is "gathering place" or "assembly". The agora was the center of athletic, artistic, spiritual and political life of the city. The Ancient Agora of Athens was the best-known examp
arbitrary
at random, unpredictable, on a wimb
aristocracy
the highest class in certain societies, especially those holding hereditary titles or offices; a form of government in which power is held by the nobility
assembly
(n) a group of people gathered together in one place for a common purpose (v) the action of gathering together as a group for a common purpose
autocracy
a system of government by one person with absolute power
benign
gentle, kindly, not harmful
censorship
the practice of officially examining books, movies, etc., and suppressing unacceptable parts
checks and balances
counterbalancing influences by which an organization or system is regulated, typically those ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups.
chosen by lot
government officials chosen randomly such as being picked out of a hat or bag
citizen
any male 21 years of age or older
citizenship
the state of being vested with the rights,privileges, and duties of a citizen (voting as a US citizen)
civic virtue
putting the communities needs before one's owns
civil liberty
a. personal freedoms that the government cannot violate
b. basic rights and freedoms that are guaranteed - either as identified in the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, or interpreted through the years by courts and lawmakers.
1. freedom of speech
2. t
class warfare
tension or antagonism which exists in society due to competing social and economic interests and desires between people of different classes.
colonization
act of setting up a colony away from one's place of origin.
constitution
a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.
democracy
The citizens choose the government through free and fair elections/ voting
democratic reforms
changes that are made to a country's system that allow it to become more democratic
dictatorship
government by dictator
direct democracy
voting directly on anyone who wants to be in government
disenfranchise (verb)
to exclude, ignore, leave out; Ex: the government disenfranchised different groups by excluding them from the political process;
disenfranchised (adjective)
being excluded or ignored; left out; Ex: the women felt disenfranchised when they were excluded from the politics in Athens.
dynasty
a powerful family
egalitarian
of, relating to, or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.
egalitarianism
A philosophical thought system that emphasizes equality and equal treatment across gender, religion, economic status and political beliefs.
empire
group of states and people united and ruled by a central authority
executive branch
branch of federal and state government that is broadly responsible for implementing, supporting, and enforcing the laws made by the legislative branch and interpreted by the judicial branch.
First Amendment
freedom of speech, religion, expression, assembly, and petitions
helots
slaves
hoplite
soldiers
imperialism
authority
indirect democracy
voting for representatives who vote for them; government elects the government
indoctrination
process of inculcating ideas
judicial branch
the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state.
law code
complete system of laws or a particular area of law as it existed
legislative branch
House of Representatives and the Senate
limited democracy
which power is only partially in the hands of the general populace
limited government
gives citizens more control on how they shape their local environment and policy
meritocracy
leadership by strength
militaristic
supporter of militarism
monarchy
rule by kings
oligarchy
rule by a few
ostracism
exclude
parliamentary democracy
democratic form of government in which the party (or a coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the parliament (legislature) forms the government, its leader becoming prime minister or chancellor.
polis (poleis)
a city state in ancient Greece, especially as considered in its ideal form for philosophical purposes.
political rights
a. the power to participate directly or indirectly in the creation or administration of government
b. the right to participate in government and the governing of a nation or state
1. right of citizenship
2. right to vote
3. right to hold public office
4.
popular sovereignty
principle that the authority of the government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives, who are the source of all political power
presidential democracy
a republican system of government where a head of government is also head of state and leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch.
reform
make changes in (something, typically a social, political, or economic institution or practice) in order to improve it.
representative democracy
indirect democracy; a variety of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people, as opposed to direct democracy
repression
the action of subduing someone or something by force.
repress
subdue (someone or something) by force.
repressive
(especially of a social or political system) inhibiting or restraining the freedom of a person or group of people.
republic
a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch
rule of law
the idea that the law should govern the people, as opposed to being ruled by the arbitrary decisions made by individual government officials
separation of powers
an act of vesting the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government in separate bodies
suppression
the action of suppressing something such as an activity or publication.
suppress
forcibly put an end to.
term limit
a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office.
theocracy
rule by leaders who are religious officials, government influenced by religious laws
totalitarianism
a concept used by some political scientists in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible
trireme
an ancient Greek or Roman war galley with three banks of oars
tyranny
cruel and oppressive government or rule
tyrant
a cruel and oppressive ruler
undermine (verb)
damage or weaken (someone or something)
unprecedented
never done or known before
veto
a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body
Delian League
an alliance of Greek city states formed during the Persian wars to defend Greece against Persia and later it became very significant because the city-states who belonged to the alliance paid a fee to be a part of the alliance; made it possible for Athens
Golden Age
A period of prosperity and cultural achievements that had widespread and lasting influences overtime
Alexander the Great
King of Macedonia in northern Greece. Between 334 and 323 B.C.E. he conquered the Persian Empire, reached the Indus Valley, founded many Greek- style cities, and spread Greek culture across the Middle East. Later known as Alexander the Great.
Aristotle
collected and categorized a vast array of knowledge. He lectured and wrote about politics, philosophy, ethics, logic, poetry, rhetoric, physics, astronomy, meteorology, zoology, and psychology, laying the foundations for many modern disciplines.
Cleisthenes
created the first democracy
Draco
he first legislator of Athens in Ancient Greece, stopped power by wealth
Herodotus
A historian who changed the way history was reported; he looked at the actions of men for explanations rather than trying to explain events based on the supernatural; the influences of the gods or goddesses; many of his details are questioning because he
Macedonians
people of macedonia
Peisistratus
one of athens' rulers
Pericles
Aristocratic leader who guided the Athenian state through the transformation to full participatory democracy for all male citizens, supervised construction of the Acropolis, and pursued a policy of imperial expansion that led to the Peloponnesian War. He
Plato
a philosopher, as well as mathematician, in Classical Greece
Solon
divided Athenian citizens into four classes based on the annual yield of their farms; abolished the practice of enslaving individuals for failure to repay their debts, thereby guaranteeing the freedom of Athenian citizens
Thucydides
remarked that in his day Sparta appeared to be little more than a large village and that no future observer of the ruins of the site would be able to guess its power.
Lycurgus
the legendary lawgiver of Sparta, who established the military-oriented reformation of Spartan society in accordance with the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi
Socrates
Athenian philosopher (ca. 470-399 B.C.E.) who shifted the emphasis of philosophical investigation from questions of natural science to ethics and human behavior. He attracted young disciples from elite families but made enemies by revealing the ignorance