Faculty Senate at Truman State University is one small peg in the tradition and history that is representative government and democracy. The term ‘democracy’ is a Greek term that means rule of the people . The earliest democracy and representative government began in Greece, Athens specifically. When representatives were chosen they were selected from wealthy, white males. Usually the men who were chosen were the richest of the possible selection .
The purpose of this type of government was to allow the “common man” to make decisions for other “common people”. This allowed them to be the “bad guys” rather than just one ruler. For example, if a war needed to take place, the Senate allowed for a possible discussion and logical explanations. Whereas, if a king or other singular ruler declares a war that the public does not agree with the logic and proof is harder to come by for the everyday citizen .
In addition, it helped people to feel more active in the decisions of every day lives, such as new laws, regulations and taxes. Because a certain number of people got to vote, it was seen as a mandate to allow these people to represent them. Whereas, a singular ruler often was unpopular if he has been grandfathered in, or given the job because his predecessors were family.
Democracy spread from Athens to other Grecian city-states and eventually to other areas in that part of the world. One of the most famous early democracies or representative governments was the Roman Senate. However, this occurred because of the domination of Athens and Greece by Rome and the local governments, more stable that the militaristic style of Rome, proved to be stronger and a better decisions .
One of the reasons that this system of government is...
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...ut Faculty Senate -- VPAA Office -- Truman State University." Provost and VPAA Office. Web. 20 Apr. 2010. .
"American Cultural History - The Twentieth Century." Lone Star College-Kingwood Library Home Page. Web. 07 May 2010. .
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Twentieth anniversary banquet honoring President Walter H. Ryle and his twenty years of service as president of the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College : October 17, 1957.
http://provost.truman.edu/facsenate/Minutes/index.asp
A number of historians and social critics have attempted to describe the American society and its culture of the 1920’s. Underneath the façade of richness, glamour and content, it contained hypocrisy, shallowness and debauchery. Historians commonly refer to the twenties as the lost generation. Harold E. Stearns’, Civilization in the United States faced a lot of criticism from intellectuals after it ruthlessly and negatively assessed the American society during the 1920’s. Although there is a common understanding among most intellectuals that the culture incorporated a lot of debauchery and corruption, critics of the 1920’s and later decades, such as the 60’s and 80’s have shown disapproval of Stearns’ overly negative assessment. Others, on the other hand, have criticized Stearns and the other authors for being too confident in the future of the American society.
..., 1820-1865. Columbia Studies in American Culture Series (New York: Columbia University Press, 1942): 13-14.
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Kallen, Stuart . A Cultural History of the United States through the Decades: The 1950's . San Diego, CA: Lucent books, Inc. , 1999. Print.
"American Cultural History." American Cultural History. Lone Star College, June 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Around 508 BC, Athens, a Greek city-state, created a democratic constitution. ‘Democracy’ in Greek was
Amidst the exceedingly prosperous decade of the 1920’s, traditional American lifestyles and principles were interjected by the new superficial and materialistic beliefs closely associated with “The Roaring Twenties.” Undoubtedly, the 1920’s were a decade of change.
They were originally established with the intent to give most of the power to the people. The power to vote for the leaders and settle issues professionally. Both forms of governments had senates, which represented the people and helped the nations succeed, by not allowing one person to gain complete power like a king or emperor would. They both did not want kings ruling the entire kingdom, so they gave the people more power by allowing them a voice with some form of voting. Power was also given to representatives and officials in the republic and democracy. The Athenians were able to vote for legislation and bills, while the Romans elected officials to vote on the people’s behalf. The Roman’s established an aristocratic republic controlled by only wealthy people, so the power was not shared equally in society. On the contrary the Athenians allowed anyone to be in government as long as they were a male citizen. A form of the executive branch emerged from both systems; Rome had two consuls elected by council and Athens had a council of five hundred men. They both had different regulations on who was able to be a citizen. The Athenians only granted citizenship to native born males, while the Romans gave half citizenship to Italians allowing them to have full rights, but were not able to
The large democratic society use to elect their leaders, and at this time it was a republic before it become an empire, and ruled by Emperors. Also the leaders could not have to much power. It was seem as the same way as Athenian democracy, meaning that only adult male could vote, and they limited the vote of the poor people. They would elect two consult that would work together for a year. There was also senators, but they did not have the power that the consuls had. However been a senator it’s for life, whereas the consuls were only there for a year. With one important thing, all these members in this government had the sam object for their civilization, only the well being of the republic as well as the well being of the
Andrist, Ralph K., and Edmund O. Stillman. The American Heritage History of the 1920s & 1930s. New York: American Heritage/Bonanza, 1987. Print.
Democracy is the structure of government still used today in many countries.The definition of democracy is a system of government where people who rule directly are freely elected representatives.In addition, democracy comes from the Greek word demokratia. Demo meaning people and kratia meaning power of rule. For instance, here is an example, Great Britain has a democratic government since elected officials and laws are voted on by the people and also the representatives they elect. Therefore Athens exemplifies a democratic government. “Athenians would meet and vote on a simple question …. is anyone becoming a threat to democracy? If a simple majority voted yes,then they dispersed and reassembled two months later,
Wukovits, John F., ed. America's Decades: The 1920's. San Diego: Greehaven Press Inc., 2000. Print.
Whitely, Peggy. "American Cultural History." 1980-1989. Lone Star College-Kingwood Library, July-Aug. 2012. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. .