Athenian direct democracy and American representative democracy differ in several key ways. Here are two correct answers highlighting those differences:
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Citizen Participation: In Athenian direct democracy, political decisions were made directly by the citizens of Athens, who participated in assemblies and voted on laws and policies themselves. In contrast, American representative democracy involves citizens electing representatives who make decisions on their behalf, which means that individual citizens do not vote on every issue.
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Scope of Participation: Athenian democracy was limited to a specific group of people — free male citizens, excluding women, slaves, and foreigners. American democracy, on the other hand, is designed to be inclusive of all citizens, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status (though historical limitations existed, voting rights have been expanded over time).
These differences reflect fundamental contrasts in how political authority and citizen engagement are structured in the two systems.
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