The Reflection of Ancient Greek Democratic Thought in Modern and Contemporary American Politics

Fengyuan Tian

2025

Abstract

This article explores how Athenian democracy—through institutions like the Ekklesia (Citizen As-sembly), Boule (Council of 500), and Dikasteria (People’s Courts), as well as principles such as isonomia (equality before the law) and isegoria (equal right to speak)—influenced the development of modern American political thought. It also discusses how these democratic ideals shaped the works of Enlightenment philosophers such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who in turn inspired the political foundations of the United States. Their ideas are reflected in key American documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the U.S. Constitution. The article further analyzes how Greek democratic values have been adapted into American institutions, including the jury system, representative government, and the separation of powers. Ultimately, the Athenian democracy reveals the relevance of its core ideals in shaping participatory governance and the principles of modern democratic societies.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Tian F. (2025). The Reflection of Ancient Greek Democratic Thought in Modern and Contemporary American Politics. In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Politics, Law, and Social Science - Volume 1: ICPLSS; ISBN 978-989-758-785-6, SciTePress, pages 540-546. DOI: 10.5220/0014389400004859

in Bibtex Style

@conference{icplss25,
author={Fengyuan Tian},
title={The Reflection of Ancient Greek Democratic Thought in Modern and Contemporary American Politics},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Politics, Law, and Social Science - Volume 1: ICPLSS},
year={2025},
pages={540-546},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0014389400004859},
isbn={978-989-758-785-6},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Politics, Law, and Social Science - Volume 1: ICPLSS
TI - The Reflection of Ancient Greek Democratic Thought in Modern and Contemporary American Politics
SN - 978-989-758-785-6
AU - Tian F.
PY - 2025
SP - 540
EP - 546
DO - 10.5220/0014389400004859
PB - SciTePress