A S L 3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 28: Totalitarianism, Neoliberalism, Collectivism
Document Summary
Practiced originally in green ~500bc: emphasis on direct participation, emphasis on civic virtue, all citizens participate in assembly meetings which decide on issues proposed by an elected council. However, citizenship excluded women, slaves, non-residents and children. Only about 10% of the population of athens could participate. As it is direct participation it will only work on small scales. In rome, civic virtue was also central, as per athens. But citizenship was even less widespread than in athens oligarchical rule. There was a republican understanding of democracy : civic virtue does not require wide participation, but mixed government or checks and balances" (consuls, senates, tributes of people) Expansion of political citizenship but participation confined to elections. Elected representatives, removed from the political processes and therefore are more capable of identifying the true interest of their country. This is more liberal due to the rule of law, capitalist economy, society as separate from the state.
