In the democratic system of Athens, the citizens' assembly is the most important. It has multiple functions of legislation, administration and justice, and is held 40 times a year. The conference is presided over by the Presidium of the 500-member Council. Parliament is divided into 65,438+00 Presidiums according to tribes. Usually, each presidium presides over four citizens' meetings every year, and the order of the meetings is decided by drawing lots. The agendas and basic topics of the four citizens' meetings are fixed. For example, the first agenda of the first Congress must be to conduct public opinion surveys on the work of current public officials and vote on their stay. This means that public officials in Athens have to undergo 10 job reviews during their one-year term, and they may be removed from office during each term of the presidium. The town meeting was held after sunrise. Law-abiding citizens over the age of 20 can participate. When a topic is difficult to decide, a general debate will be held, and all participants without serious moral defects can speak on stage. According to the debate, the presidium finally submitted the bill to the general assembly for voting.
The 500-member Council is the permanent body of the United Nations General Assembly. In addition to preparing bills for the conference, 10 members of the presidium are also on duty in turn to handle major daily affairs. The presidium also draws lots to elect a chairman for one day, who is responsible for convening the meeting and keeping the national seal and the keys to the national treasury and archives. He is actually the supreme leader of this democratic country.
The people's court is the third important democratic institution. Its members are selected by lottery by citizens over 30 years old, and it is responsible for hearing most criminal and all civil cases. In order to avoid abusing power for personal gain, the 10 people's court was decided by lot, and the judgment was made by 500 judges of each court by secret ballot, which systematically guaranteed the principle of equality before the law, and even powerful people could not interfere in the court's trial. For example, when Bekele was the chief general, his good friend phidias was tried by the people's court. Perikles testified for his friend in court, even when he complained, but the court still found phidias guilty.
There are hundreds of departments in charge at all levels in Athens, and each unit is composed of 10 people, usually drawn from 10 tribes, such as treasurer, public seller, city supervisor, city supervisor and port supervisor. Among them, 10 is always the most important institution. In the second half of the 5th century BC, this institution had not only military functions, but also administrative functions. The consul lost his authority in the past and became an official who only participated in people's court trials and organized various religions, festivals and competitions.
The positive significance and limitations of Athenian democracy made it possible for Athenian citizens to give full play to their subjective initiative and intelligence, making Athens a school and model in politics, economy and thought in Greece, and produced a large number of politicians, philosophers, dramatists, historians, artists and rhetoricians who made great contributions to human civilization.
However, although democracy in Athens is more extensive than monarchy and aristocratic oligarchy, it is only more extensive to some blood-related compatriots in society. Its purpose is to gather citizens into a ruling class that enjoys privileges at home and controls subordinate countries abroad. Therefore, while giving full play to its great historical role, it promoted the prosperity of Athens' politics, economy and culture, and at the same time brutally stifled another part of society, namely the ability of slaves and foreigners to develop freely. It also deprives women of their right to participate in politics. Therefore, it is not only the catalyst of human civilization, but also the root of slavery and evil. It has brought priceless treasures to the treasure house of world civilization, and also aroused the antipathy of the country and people. This is the biggest limitation of Athenian democracy. In addition, Athenian democracy is a direct democracy, which is different from modern representative democracy. It can only be implemented in small countries, and direct democracy can easily slide into the quagmire of extreme democracy.