Influences of Ancient Greece and Rome on American Government: EOC review video

Summary

This video script explores the profound influence of ancient Greece and Rome on the formation of the United States government. It highlights the polis concept, civic participation, and the constitution from Greece, and the republicanism, rule of law, and separation of powers from Rome. The script humorously explains how these historical ideas shaped the American system of government, including city governance, voting rights, and legislative bodies, while also touching on the challenges of wealth disparity and the importance of checks and balances.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ Ancient Greece had a significant influence on the formation of the United States government, including ideas like constitutions, citizen participation, and city governance.
• 🗺️ The concept of the 'polis' in ancient Greece, which is a city with its own government and laws, mirrors the structure of cities in the United States with their own local governments.
• 📜 Ancient Greece introduced the idea of a constitution, a written document outlining government functions and powers, which influenced the U.S. Constitution.
• 👥 Civic participation in ancient Greece, exemplified by the Athenian assembly, encouraged direct citizen involvement in government decisions, a concept that parallels U.S. democracy.
• 🔊 The limitations on voting rights in ancient Greece, which were restricted to a small percentage of the population, influenced early U.S. voting customs, although these have since evolved.
• 🏛️ The legislative bodies of ancient Greece, which were responsible for all government functions, laid the groundwork for the concept of law-making bodies in the U.S. government.
• 🌍 The Roman Empire's republicanism, where elected officials represented the people, influenced the U.S. system of representative government.
• 🗳️ Roman civic participation involved citizens in local governance, similar to the U.S., but with the added expectation that they could also serve as representatives.
• ⚖️ The Roman concept of the rule of law, where everyone is accountable to the law, has been a foundational principle in the U.S. legal system.
• 🔄 The Roman practice of separation of powers and checks and balances has been adopted by the U.S. government to prevent any one branch from having too much authority.
• 📚 The script humorously regrets not comparing ancient Greek fashion with modern American fashion, highlighting the presenter's engaging storytelling style.

Q & A

What is the main influence of ancient Greece on the United States government?

Ancient Greece influenced the United States government through concepts like the polis, constitutions, citizen participation, voting, and the idea of a city having its own independent government.

What does the term 'polis' refer to in the context of ancient Greece?

The term 'polis' refers to a city-state in ancient Greece, each having its own government, laws, and citizen participation structures.

How did the geography of ancient Greece affect the formation of city-states?

The mountainous terrain of ancient Greece made it impractical for a single government to rule over large areas, leading to the formation of different city-states with their own governments and laws.

What is an example of how the concept of the polis is reflected in the United States?

In the United States, cities like Tampa and Miami have their own local governments, laws, and police forces, reflecting the concept of the polis from ancient Greece.

What was the significance of the written constitution in ancient Greece?

The written constitution in ancient Greece was significant as it established the rules and limitations of the government, which was somewhat uncommon at the time.

How did the concept of civic participation in ancient Greece differ from modern voting rights?

In ancient Greece, civic participation was encouraged, and there were punishments for not participating, such as painting one's clothes red for not attending the assembly. However, not everyone had voting rights; foreigners, slaves, children, women, and men who did not complete their military training were not eligible to vote.

What is the difference between direct voting and republicanism as forms of government?

Direct voting involves individuals voting on specific issues or choices, while republicanism, or representative government, involves voting for people who will represent the citizens in government and make choices on their behalf.

How did the Roman Empire's size influence its adoption of republicanism?

The large size of the Roman Empire made it impractical for direct voting across the vast territories. Instead, they adopted republicanism, where elected representatives would make decisions for the people they represented.

What is the 'rule of law' and how did it develop in Rome?

The 'rule of law' is the principle that everyone is accountable to the law, regardless of their status. In Rome, this concept developed to address the divide between the wealthy and the poor, leading to the creation of the 12 Tables, a series of civil laws that applied to all citizens.

How did the Roman concept of separation of powers influence the United States government?

The Roman concept of separating government power into different branches influenced the United States government structure, where powers are divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to prevent any single branch from having too much power.

What is the purpose of checks and balances in the United States government?

Checks and balances in the United States government serve to ensure that no single branch has unchecked power. It allows each branch to limit the powers of the others, such as the legislative branch's ability to impeach a president or the executive branch's ability to veto legislation.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Influence of Ancient Greece on American Society and Government

The first paragraph introduces the significant impact of ancient Greece on the formation of the United States government and society. It humorously sets the scene in 1959, then corrects to ancient Greece, emphasizing the historical influence on American civic structures. The video script explains that the concept of the 'polis' or city-state in Greece, with its own government and laws, mirrors the independent governance found in American cities. It also touches on the origins of ideas like constitutions, citizen participation, voting, and city governance, which were adopted from the Greek model of democracy, particularly highlighting the example of Athens and its assembly.

05:00

🗳️ Voting Rights and Legislative Bodies in Ancient Greece and Rome

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of voting rights in ancient Greece, noting the limited pool of eligible voters, which included only a small percentage of the population. It contrasts this with the early voting customs in the United States, which also had restrictive voting rights. The paragraph then transitions to the influence of ancient Rome, discussing the Roman Empire's vast territory and its adoption of republicanism, where elected officials represented the people. It explains the Roman civic participation and the concept of the rule of law, which aimed to ensure that all citizens, regardless of wealth, were subject to the law. The 12 Tables of Roman law are mentioned as a rebalancing act to apply laws equally to all social classes.

10:01

🏛️🏛️ Combining Greek and Roman Influences in the U.S. Government

The final paragraph wraps up the discussion by highlighting the integration of Greek and Roman influences in the American government. It describes the Roman practice of separation of powers and checks and balances, which were adapted into the U.S. governmental structure. The paragraph explains how the legislative branch writes laws subject to approval by the executive branch, which can either sign or veto them. It also mentions the legislative branch's power to impeach the president for illegal activities or improper conduct, showcasing the mutual checks and balances between branches. The video concludes by summarizing how the United States government has modeled itself after these ancient societies, blending democratic participation with the rule of law and representative governance.

Keywords

💡Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history from the earliest recorded Greek writings to the Roman conquest in 146 BCE. It is the source of much of Western philosophy, literature, and science. In the video, Ancient Greece is highlighted as a significant influence on the formation of the United States government, particularly in the areas of democracy, city-state governance, and civic participation.

💡Polis

The term 'polis' is a Greek word meaning 'city-state' and was the organizational unit of the ancient Greek political structure. Each polis had its own government and laws. The script uses the polis as an example to illustrate the similarity between city governance in ancient Greece and the independent city governments within states in the United States.

💡Constitution

A constitution is a fundamental principle or a set of principles according to which a state or other organization is governed. In the context of the video, the concept of a constitution in Ancient Greece is mentioned as an early form of written governance rules, which influenced the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the idea of codifying the laws and powers of government.

💡Civic Participation

Civic participation refers to the various ways citizens can engage in the political life of their community, including voting and involvement in local governance. The video emphasizes the importance of civic participation in Ancient Greece, especially in Athens, where citizens were actively involved in decision-making processes, and draws a parallel to the expectation of citizen engagement in the U.S. political system.

💡Democracy

Democracy is a system of government where power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives. The script explains that Athens in Ancient Greece is a prime example of an early democratic system where citizens voted directly on issues, which influenced the democratic ideals of the United States.

💡Republic

A republic is a form of government in which the country is considered a 'public matter' and the head of state is an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch. The video describes how the concept of a republic, where representatives vote on behalf of citizens, was adapted by the Romans from Greek models and later embraced in the U.S. government structure.

💡Representative Government

Representative government is a type of democracy where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. The script explains that this concept, derived from Roman governance, is foundational to the U.S. system where elected officials represent the people's interests in government.

💡Rule of Law

The rule of law is the principle that everyone is subject to the law, including people who are lawmakers, law enforcement officials, and judges. In the video, the Roman concept of the rule of law is discussed as a critical influence on the U.S. legal system, emphasizing that all individuals are equal before the law.

💡Separation of Powers

Separation of powers is a model for the governance of a state, which divides the state's power into separate branches to prevent the concentration of power and provide a system of checks and balances. The script describes the Roman practice of separating governmental powers as a precursor to the U.S. system of dividing power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

💡Checks and Balances

Checks and balances is a system in which each branch of government can limit the powers of the other branches to ensure that no single branch becomes too powerful. The video explains how the Roman Republic had early forms of checks and balances, which influenced the U.S. Constitution's system of mutual oversight among the three branches of government.

Highlights

The United States government has been significantly influenced by ancient Greece, setting trends for government structures and societal norms.

Ancient Greece's concept of the 'polis' or city, influenced the structure of city governments in the United States.

Each polis in ancient Greece had its own government and laws, reflecting the diversity in local governance similar to that in the U.S.

Ancient Greece's mountainous terrain contributed to the development of distinct city-states with unique governance.

The city of Tampa in Florida exemplifies the American city structure, with its own government and laws under the state and federal jurisdiction.

The idea of a constitution, a written document outlining government functions and powers, originated from ancient Greece.

Athens practiced democracy with direct citizen participation in government decisions, unlike the dual king system of Sparta.

Civic participation in ancient Greece was encouraged, with citizens meeting in assemblies to make executive decisions.

Ancient Greece had voting rights that determined eligibility for participation in elections, affecting early U.S. voting customs.

Legislative bodies in ancient Greece were responsible for all government functions, influencing the U.S. law-making process.

Ancient Rome's republicanism, electing officials to represent the people, is a concept embraced in the U.S. government.

The Roman Empire's size necessitated a representative system to manage the diverse and expansive territories.

The concept of the rule of law in Rome ensured everyone, regardless of status, was accountable to the law.

The 12 Tables in Rome were civil laws created to apply to both the poor and the wealthy, rebalancing societal power.

The separation of powers in Roman government limited the concentration of authority by distributing it across different branches.

Checks and balances in Roman government allowed branches to limit each other's power, a concept adopted by the U.S.

The United States government's structure, incorporating ideas from both ancient Greece and Rome, reflects a blend of direct democracy and representative governance.

Transcripts

the United States government of today

has been influenced by many things but

perhaps none greater than the influence

of Greece

[Applause]

the story is set in 1959 where this

American Musical classic takes place

wait this can't be right

ah let's see yes ancient Greece has had

a tremendous impact on American society

creating all kinds of health problems

for us here in the United States

oh my gosh guys welcome back to Civics

review and today we're going to be

learning about ancient Greece the

country and the reason we're doing this

in civics class is because the United

States the formation of this country and

the government is really heavily

influenced by this ancient culture we

love what they were doing right this

word ancient means it comes from our

past and Greece was the country that

sort of set the trends for what was cool

and how to wear your hair and what your

government could look like and what they

did 2 000 years ago really resonated

with us when we were forming our nation

we wanted to look like them and walk

like them we wanted to smell like them

yeah so if you've ever wondered where

the U.S came up with ideas like

constitutions and citizen participation

voting and even the concept of a city

having its own independent government

then look no further than the influences

of ancient Greece

foreign

[Music]

I do regret to inform you that we will

not be looking and comparing the

Fashions of ancient Greeks and modern

day Americans I apologize in advance

so let's start with the first influence

from ancient Greece which was the polis

and this is the Greek word for City now

I'm not trying to say that Americans

stole the concept of a city from the

ancient Greeks we're just trying to

mention that City structures in America

are very similar to the way they were

structured in ancient Greece each polis

had its own government its own laws that

were quite different from cities nearby

and they all had different requirements

for how citizens should participate in

their local governments now the reason

ancient Greece had cities that had their

own governments and different laws

everywhere you went was mostly based on

their Terrain in the very mountainous

regions of ancient Greece it was very

impractical for one government to rule

over every spot on top of the mountain

and so you had places like Athens which

had its own government laws and citizen

participation that was quite different

from everyone around them yet they

remained a part of Greece the country it

works much the same way in the United

States because hey we really wanted to

be like ancient Greece so let's take

Florida for an example where we have the

city of Tampa they've got their own

mayor they have their own Tampa specific

laws and of course they have their own

police force the people of Tampa vote

for these leaders they participate in

this government and they adhere to the

laws and rules of the city on the other

coast we have Miami

they've got different issues on the

other coasts and so they have their own

mayor and their own laws and law

enforcers to help deal with their

specific issues both cities still fall

under the jurisdiction of the State of

Florida and of course belong to the

greater authority of the country of the

United States of America

another big influence of ancient Greece

on the USA was the idea of a

constitution and this is a written

document that establishes how a

government can function and what kind of

powers it has now the concept of writing

down The rules for how the government

should act and behave might not seem

super special to you but back in the

time of the ancient Greeks it was

somewhat uncommon for a king or someone

in charge of a country to actually write

down the laws and the rules as well as

the limitations of the government each

polis had its own Constitution because

they had their own government right

Athens had democracy where people voted

directly on things but the Spartans had

a completely different form of

government hosting two kings at one time

[Music]

another influential concept of ancient

Greece was the idea of civic

participation and this is where citizens

were encouraged to participate in their

government the polis Athens is the best

example that we can use and in Athens

they met an assembly which was like a

large group of citizens and they would

do things like make executive

pronouncements the people themselves

would declare war if they decided that's

what they wanted to do assembly was also

responsible for electing officials and

they even acted as judge and jury trying

political crimes in Assembly not only

did they encourage you to participate in

government but there were punishments if

you didn't the most hilarious of which

is they would paint your clothes red if

you didn't show up for assembly dude now

while I mentioned that they could elect

officials not everybody in Greece

actually could and this is another

influence that Greece had on America in

ancient Greece they had what was known

as voting rights these voting rights

determined who could vote in elections

and it was a very small percentage of

the people foreigners slaves children

and women and even men who did not

complete their military training were

not eligible to vote in ancient Greece

many of the U.S customs for voting

originally started with similar Concepts

yes when the country first formed not

very many people could vote but we'll

save that for another video

the last influential concept from

ancient Greece is the legislative bodies

and when we say this we are referring to

the law-making body of government now

the Greek legislative bodies kind of did

it all nowadays we divide the powers of

the government into other branches but

this singular branch of government in

Greece and its citizen involvement were

responsible for all manner of government

functions okay that wraps it up for

ancient Greece but the second culture

that had a major influence on American

government is that of ancient Rome you

can see here from the map that the Roman

Empire was massive they conquered so

much territory including Greece which

actually fits into the Roman Empire now

you're probably asking how do they get

so much territory and the simple answer

is they had a better military and better

military tactics

now Rome kind of modeled their

government after Greece but they had to

make several changes because of the

sheer size of their empire and one of

those was republicanism and we love this

concept here in America this is simply

electing government officials to

represent the people in government let's

take a closer look when you think about

voting for something you're probably

thinking about direct voting in which

the individual votes on what they want

directly whether it's food or some kind

of public issue but in a republic you do

not vote for the individual things you

actually vote for people and these

people will represent you in government

and make choices for everybody that they

represent now the reason this works very

well in Rome is because of the size of

their empire it was too impractical to

go halfway around Europe asking

everybody what they wanted and was more

practical to choose several individuals

to represent them in government to make

those choices for them and oh yeah by

the way in a large spread out Empire

with lots of different cultures and

languages it's really hard to

communicate what we're voting on elected

representatives would speak the Latin

language which and could communicate

when they traveled to Rome to

communicate what their representatives

wanted in government we have a very

similar system here in the United States

where we have a large spread out society

and we elect representatives to

represent us in government and travel to

Washington DC to do their government

things

you might also hear this term as

representative government and not

republicanism but it kind of means the

same thing right this is a government in

which officials are elected by their

people to represent their ideas and

concerns and this can include a

president a governor of a state and even

lawmakers

now the Romans also had their own civic

participation that was similar to Greece

but kind of different and again all

citizens were expected to take part and

be active in their government and they

had to attend their assembly meetings

where they would vote for local leaders

they could also run for political office

because we are voting and electing

representatives you could be one of

those Representatives although you kind

of needed a little bit of money since

the job didn't pay so only the wealthy

ended up doing this speaking of which

this caused a number of problems for the

Roman society later on and that's where

we get to the rule of law the rule of

law is simply a concept it's like an

idea that everyone is accountable to the

law everybody has to follow the rules

whether you're rich or poor but in Rome

the average citizens who really didn't

have enough money to run for political

office found themselves in a Great

Divide between the wealthy citizens laws

in Rome created by the wealthy seem to

only apply to the poor people and the

wealthy people were sort of above these

rules and so in an effort to bridge the

gap and make sure both poor and Wealthy

had to follow rules they created the 12

tables and these were a series of civil

laws that were created to not only apply

to the poor people but also to the

wealthy this is sort of a rebalancing of

power in Rome where they all agreed that

everybody kind of needs to follow these

rules otherwise it's not a fun Society

to be in and this concept has greatly

influenced the us where we don't want

wealthy people or famous people or

people that work in the government to be

above the rules of the Common Man

another thing the Romans did that we

loved was called separation of powers

and this is simply dividing the

government power into different

independent branches their separation of

powers didn't look quite like ours did

but the concept is there right of

limiting your government by spreading

out the power

and finally the Romans had checks and

balances which was the ability for each

branch to sort of stop the other the

Romans created term limits for those who

served in office at least for the consul

position and they also had age

requirements they gave their branches

veto power and even had two consoles in

office just in case one of them went

power hungry fast forward over a

thousand years later and you see the

United States government was influenced

by Rome and here's an example of checks

and balances using our three branches

the main function of the legislative

branch is to write laws but they can't

just pass laws on their own after they

write them they have to be approved by

the other branch which would be the

Executive Branch the executive branch

might either sign the bill into law make

it official or veto the bill which is a

rejection of the bill in this way the

executive branch can check the power of

the other Branch if they're creating

laws that the U.S really doesn't need or

most of the people don't want now checks

and balances works both ways the

legislative branch also has the power to

stop the executive branch and the way

they do this is a little thing called

impeachment if the president which is

the head of the Executive Branch is

doing something illegal a federal crime

or just their behavior is improper and

you can't see my air quotes here but I'm

doing it then they may be removed from

office by the Legislative Branch it

takes a lot of doing but it can be done

and it has been done before and so we've

taken these ideas from Rome like checks

and balances and the rule of law and

these ideas from Greece like civic

participation and democracy and we sort

of modeled our government after these

two older societies

okay that's it for now thanks so much

for sticking to the end of my video I

hope you enjoyed it I hope you learned

something we'll make more videos soon

[Music]