In what way was Athenian democracy a direct democracy?

A. The courts were staffed by volunteers who were at least 30 years of age.
B. The Assembly met 40 times a year to debate public matters and make law.
C. The Council of Five Hundred was 500 citizens chosen randomly for one-year terms.
D. The central feature was an Assembly open to all male citizens at least 18 years of age.

1 answer

Athenian democracy was a direct democracy primarily because:

D. The central feature was an Assembly open to all male citizens at least 18 years of age.

In this system, eligible citizens participated directly in the decision-making process rather than through elected representatives, which is a key characteristic of direct democracy.