1. Official posts at all levels in Athens are open to all citizens and are drawn by lot. Of course, the lottery should be slightly different according to the position. For the highest position, such as consul, each constituency must put forward a certain number of candidates in proportion, and then draw lots from the candidates to decide. However, the qualifications of candidates have been relaxed as much as possible, and there are no restrictions on property, rank and qualifications. Other officials at all levels and members of the 500-member conference are directly drawn from qualified citizens in each constituency. At that time, the Greeks thought that drawing lots was an act of God, which gave it a certain sacred meaning, so it was fair. This practice provided citizens with the most extensive and equal opportunities to participate in politics in ancient times, and their political quality was greatly improved.
2. The citizens' assembly, the 500-member assembly and the people's court are the main democratic institutions in Athens and have full powers. In particular, the citizens' assembly has become a veritable institution of the highest state power. All citizens are members of parliament and have the right to participate in discussion and voting. It implements direct democracy, that is, all citizens directly participate in the citizens' assembly that holds the highest state power. In the heyday of this democratic politics, no public official in Athens city-state, no matter how high his position, could decide any important government affairs without leaving the parliament. They are all under the constant supervision of the citizens' assembly and the 500-member meeting. If the citizens' assembly thinks that he has neglected his duty, no matter how high his prestige is, he must be punished according to law.
3. At the same time that the citizens' assembly and citizens gained national sovereignty, the original clan aristocratic forces were completely eradicated. The aristocratic meeting lost all political power and only dealt with matters related to religion. The old clan aristocratic slave owners no longer became political forces, and aristocratic privileges vanished. Of course, this does not mean that the upper-class slave owners have been driven out of the political arena. In fact, Athens is still a slave-owner class country, but it only abolished the privilege of nobles to control the political stage, gave industrial and commercial slave owners the opportunity to take power, and opened the political power to ordinary people.
4. Pay salaries and allowances to citizens who hold public office and participate in the political activities of the city-state. According to the old city-state system, citizens have the obligation to hold public office, and they are not paid, and even have to bear the relevant expenses themselves. This practice actually limits the political participation of poor citizens. This tradition was also broken by Perikles. First of all, he gives daily living allowances to citizens who serve as jurors in people's courts, which is quite popular among the people. Therefore, it has been popularized, so that members of the 500-member conference and government officials, including consuls, are provided with meals by the state when performing official duties; Later, it developed into a subsidy for attending the citizens' meeting, or even a "theater allowance" for participating in the theater organized by the city-state.
The democratic politics of Athens in Pericles' era did develop to an unprecedented degree in ancient history, but it also had the limitations of the times and classes.
1. Athenian democracy is democracy within the slave owners and a form of dictatorship over slaves.
2. Even among the free people in Athens, this kind of democracy is limited to a very narrow range. Women can't participate in politics, and foreigners don't have any rights, which makes more than half of the total population of freemen excluded. The leadership of democratic politics is still in the hands of the upper class of slave owners, but these upper class members are no longer nobles who oppose civilians, but industrial and commercial slave owners who support civilians to use democracy. In terms of system, there is also a "loophole" in Athens' democratic politics, so that these upper-class elements can hold real power. That is, the ten generals always maintain the electoral system and are not re-elected without salary, which determines that it is difficult for poor citizens to be elected generals. The general is an important figure in military power. Perikles was re-elected as chief general from 443 BC to 429 BC, and took control of the political situation in Athens, becoming the de facto lifelong head of government.
3. Under the slogan of democracy and equality, inequality and undemocratic are actually covered up, mainly manifested in the political and economic inequality between ordinary civilians and wealthy upper-middle class slave owners; The inequality between Athenians and allied city-states and Gentiles; For slaves, there is less equality. Any democratic power gained by the Athenians was based on the inequality with the allied city-states, foreigners and slaves. Secondly, the scope of this democratic politics is very limited even among freemen. All these restrictions show that Athenian democracy was a means for the ancient slave owners to exercise their rule.
In ancient China, there were three provinces and six departments.
This is an equal right measure taken by feudal emperors for the balance of power.