Chapter 9.2 - Greek Political Systems

Which statement describes a major difference between the political system of ancient Athens and the political system

in today’s United States?

• In ancient Athens, women had no political rights, while women have equal rights in the United States today.

• In ancient Athens, the government was dominated by wealthy men, while any adult citizen can run for office in the United States today.

• In ancient Athens, nearly all residents participated in elections, while fewer than two-thirds of people in the United States participate in elections today.

• In ancient Athens, laws passed by the Assembly applied only to citizens, while laws passed in the United States today apply to everyone living in the country.

During the age of democracy, Athenian society was centered around

• trade and the arts

• religious devotion

• farming and family life

• military preparedness

Which statement best compares the political development of Athens and Sparta?

• Both Athens and Sparta transformed from oligarchies into democracies at about the same time.

• Athens replaced its tyranny with a democracy while Sparta maintained a militaristic, semi-democratic

  oligarchy.

• Both Athens and Sparta established popular democracies by overthrowing their hereditary monarchs.

• Athens slowly transformed its oligarchy into a democracy while Sparta overthrew its tyrant to

  establish a democracy.

In ancient Athens, in order to be a citizen, residents were required to be

• adults, at least 30 years of age.

• property-owning males.

• natives of the city-state.

• former members of the military.

Which form of political power did women in ancient Sparta possess?

• the right to become citizens

• the right to serve in the army

• the right to vote on proposed laws

• the right to speak during debates in the Assembly

Which statement describes a similarity between the democratic system of ancient Athens and the system in place in the United States when the Constitution was written?

• In both places, women had the same political rights as men.

• In both places, voting rights were limited to a small group of people.

• In both places, all citizens could be chosen by lottery to propose new laws.

• In both places, the council (in ancient Greece) or Congress (in the United States) passed laws.

Which element was one of the main differences between the societies of ancient Athens and Sparta?

• the importance of slavery

• the existence of social classes

• the type of education given to boys

• the participation of women in politics

Why did women lack political rights?

• They were busy assigning work to the metics and slaves.

• They had other interests, aside from politics.

• They were not motivated to learn about politics.

• They were not considered to be citizens.

Which factor contributed most to the decline in democracy in ancient Greece?

• foreign invasions

• economic collapse

• warfare between city-states

• secret alliances among city-states

In what way was the democratic system of ancient Athens different from the previous political systems used by that

city-state?

• Slavery was no longer allowed.

• Positions of power were open to more people.

• Political rights were no longer limited to men only.

• Government land was given out to citizens who had no land.