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Why Is Cleisthenes Described As The Father Of Western Democracy

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Western Democracy
Over the course of thousands of years the west has become a place of admiration, innovation and a mecca for socialization. Although, most of the world models itself after lesser civilizations, if you take a look back in time, you’ll discover a world before equal opportunity and established liberal government. Flashing back to 600 B.C, governmental systems all over the world were almost completely reliant on one leader with complete control. In this case the question becomes, where did egalitarianism originate from? Through what agency did the three Abrahamic religions spread to western countries? What forced England back into monarchy? There were several factors that concluded in the overall success of western government, …show more content…

Historians often credit Cleisthenes as the father of democracy, because of his devotion to a union ran by the people. Cleisthenes belonged to the Alcmaeonid Family, a powerful family at the time, with a leading role in Athenian public life. Cleisthenes was a key player in the way democracy is shaped in the west today. He saw the influence of tyranny, economically, yet his attention remained on the public rights of the people. He believed that the people should earn their wealth and respect rather than being born into it. One’s last name held more leverage than their skills, and that’s exactly what he fought against. Cleisthenes remains an essential part of Athenian history due to his activism for equal rights that had an everlasting effect on the western …show more content…

In the modern world, there’s no example of a pure direct democracy, although there are unions that imitate a direct democracy, no country in the world relies solely on the opinion of the general public to make decisions. Most libertarian nations are run as indirect democracies, in which the elected officials make decisions for the well being of the country. Indirect democracies are the most popular forms of government in the west for example, in several European countries citizens join together to elect one politician who’ll make ethical decisions for the betterment of the

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