The Greek Political System: Relevance to the Modern American System

This essay delves into the Greek civilization, focusing on its profound impact on science, politics, and culture, particularly the Greek political system and its organization. It examines the characteristic features of Greek city-states, highlighting their autonomous governance, central cities, and the concept of a national culture, drawing parallels to modern federal systems and national identity. The analysis includes a comparison of Greek city-states with Sumerian city-states, emphasizing differences in centralization and citizenship. Furthermore, the essay discusses the role of geography in shaping the development of the Polis, factors promoting unity and disunity among Greek city-states, and the organization of Athenian democracy. A comparison between Athenian and American democracy is provided to highlight the continued relevance and influence of Greek governance principles in contemporary political systems. The essay concludes by affirming the enduring legacy of the Greek civilization and its crucial role in shaping modern political structures, with adaptations to ensure equality and eliminate discrimination.

Running head: GREEK CULTURE
GREEK CULTURE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
The Greek Civilization used to be one of the most powerful civilizations to have existed
on this earth. Their contribution to science, politics and culture has been so profound that the
most famous men belonging to the era is honoured even today. In this essay the central theme
chosen concerns itself with enumerating about the Greek Political System and its organization
along with an account of its relevance in modern political system of America (Freeman 2016).
Characteristic features of the Greek City States
The Greek system of organization of the political contiguity in form of the City States
serves as the template for modern federal system that can be found in the United States of
America, Russia and other countries of the world. The Greek City States were autonomous units
of governance.
The system of having an important town as the center of each City State serves as the
modern concept of having a capital city. The villages in each of the Greek City States were
scattered around that most important city (Connor 2017).
Each of the Greek City States had their own deity to whom they owed allegiance. The
particular deity was worshipped as a matter of obligation since that signified the aspect of
building a common identity. This practice can be used to explain the aspect of having a National
Culture in modern world, which compels every citizen to owe their allegiance to the State and its
Institutions (Esu 2018).
The Greek City States were engaged in bloody wars with each other in order to safeguard
their interests. This aspect can be related to the modern, Realist theory of International Relations,

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which says that international politics is all about securing the national interest and the global
political sphere is a sphere of competition. The most important one being the rivalry between the
most powerful City States of Sparta and Athens which had caused the long driven Peloponnesian
War (Smailes 2017).
In the Greek City States, any individual who did not speak Greek were considered as
barbarians and not someone who could be a part of the particular City State. This can be
relateable to the modern system of citizenship whereby each one has to acquire that prerogative
either as an ascribed status or as an achievement in order to belong and reside at a particular
country (McKechnie 2014).
The Greek City States were separated from each other by fortified constructions, the
mountainous ranges and the Mediterranean Sea. It was one of the reasons why the Greek City
States never had a central governmental authority. Each of the City States thus had their own
form of government, democracy, oligarchy or monarchy (Lintott 2014).
Comparison of the Greek City States with the Sumerian City States
The most important difference between the Greek and the Sumerian City States is that the
latter form of political organization was centralized and their affairs were conducted and
managed by the Central Authority. The Greek City States on the other hand were independent
and autonomous without being under the watch of any overheard authority, the ruler seated at the
city of Sargon. This particular difference makes the Greek City States less integrated and more
scattered compared to the Sumerian City States (Kitto 2017).
Citizenship was limited only to the men of the Greek City States, and only they took part
in the activities of the Government, and paid taxes. Citizenship in the Sumerian City States

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belonged to all, every one participated in the process of the Government, and even paid taxes.
This makes the Sumerian City States democratic while the Greek City States Oligarchic (Kitto
2017).
Culturally both the Greek and the Sumerian Civilizations were quite similar. They had
developed their own system of writing which they had developed themselves. Both had extensive
trade relations with each other and with other civilizations (Kitto 2017).
Role of geography in influencing development of the Polis
The aspect of geography has been the major factor impeding the unification of the Greek
City States, under one overhead authority. Each of the Greek City States were separated from
each other from each other by the rugged mountainous ranges. Some of the Greek City States
which were islands, were separated from each other by the Mediterranean Sea. Naturally the
level of interaction between them was very much limited. That disunity and lack of contact with
each other had facilitated each of the Greek City States to be autonomous units of governance
(Strauss 2017).
Factors promoting unity and disunity among the Greek City States
It would not be very wrong to say that factors disuniting the Greek City States were much
more than the factors uniting them unto each other. Each City State had their separate deity to
which they owed their allegiance, there was no common symbol from which they could derive a
common identity. They were separated from each other due to geographical reasons, the
presence of mountainous ranges or the Mediterranean Sea impeded unity and interaction.
Moreover, the prospect of having unity with each other seemed impossible as they were engaged
in incessant bloody wars with each other on a regular basis. Since the Greek City States were

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politically not unified each of the City States had their own system of governance, some
followed monarchy, some oligarchy and some followed Democracy (Strauss 2017).
The factors of similarities were that each of the City States’ organization was on similar
lines. They had a city which they considered as the central authority. They rule of citizenship
applied uniformly to all the City States. The criteria for being a citizen were that the person had
to be a man, had to know Greek Language, and had to pay taxes, and that was uniform in all the
City States. These similarities keep them united. The only form of claim to a common identity
that the Greek City States could lay was that of the Greek language (Strauss 2017).
Organization of the Athenian Democracy
Etymologically, democracy is derived from two Greek words, demos, meaning a body of
citizens, and kratos, meaning the rule. Greek democracy is epitomized by the system that
prevailed in Athens. The body of citizens consisted of male members of the upper class who had
attained 18 years of age, or the legal age to cast a vote. All the citizens could participate in the
assembly and raise their concerns. There were nine presidents who were chosen by popular vote
to conduct the proceedings of the assembly and monitor the voting process. They could retain
their office for just once. The decisions concerned itself with the affairs affecting the general
public, and were taken on the basis of majority vote. However the presence if the law courts
could adjudicate the justness of the decision of the assembly (Gilje & Skirbekk, G. (2017).
Comparison of Athenian Democracy with American Democracy
Only one person can be the American President unlike the Athenian system of having
nine. American President is elected by popular vote casted by citizens of and above the age of

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18. Unlike the Athenian system, he can hold office up to five years and citizenship is American
Democracy is gender neutral. In American democracy only few chosen by the people to
represent them are allowed to take decisions in the assembly on behalf of the citizens of the
country. The system of judging the justness or the constitutionality of laws passed by the
American Assembly is also testified similar to the Athenian system (Roberts 2015).
Conclusion
Thus it is very evident that the Greek system of governance is relevant even today and
extremely crucial aspects which are but the legacy of the Greek civilization are being used even
today. Albeit with some restructuring to ensure that the spirit of equality is intact, and there is no
discrimination unlike what prevailed in ancient Greece.

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