Ancient Western Political System

1, the city-state system in the Mediterranean Greek Peninsula in the unique geographic environment, in the specific historical conditions, the 8th to 6th centuries BC, Greece appeared more than two hundred small slave states, known as "city-state" or "city-state". The city-state was characterized by its small size and small population. City-states generally included urban areas and surrounding rural areas. In the minds of the ancient Greeks, "city-state" means the same blood group of people *** with the group, *** with the region and the absolute independence of the political economy. Greek city-state system of government is diverse, broadly divided into democracy, aristocracy and monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny and so on. Among them, Athens and Sparta were the most famous city-states. Sparta practiced aristocracy and Athens was known for its democracy. The civic politics practiced by the Greek city-states allowed the citizens of the city-states to enjoy fuller political rights. In particular, Athenian democracy provided valuable lessons for future generations.

2. Democracy in the Athenian city-states (1) The establishment of democracy: monarchy - aristocracy - Thoreau's reforms - the Risthenian reforms, and finally the establishment of democracy. (2) Basic features: popular sovereignty and rule by turns. (3) Evaluation: On the one hand, it is pointed out that Athenian democracy was a product of the Greek city-states which were small in size and had its own limitations, and that the result of the direct participation of citizens in politics and the rotation of seats was not always just, and that the democratic rule in Athens still served the slave-owning class; on the other hand, it is to be pointed out that the value and significance of the democratic politics of Athens lay in the fact that it provided for the future generations one of the most worthwhile forms of government, and provided the most worthwhile reference for the human civilization. The value and significance of Athenian democracy lies in the fact that it provided a most worthy reference form of government for later generations and pointed out a way for the perfection of the form of political organization in human civilization. Athenian democracy was highly progressive at that time. Therefore, the Athenian democracy was worthy of being a model of slave democracy in the Greek region.

3. The unique features of the Greek city-states: ① Independence. They were not dependent on any political power, and had their own legal system, officials, courts, etc. These city-states were independent even if they were allied. These city states even if the alliance does not have a supreme authority, is not subordinate to each other. ② Direct democracy. The supreme authority belongs to the Citizens' Assembly, which is related to the military democracy of primitive societies, which is not found in the East, and which can elect officials, adjudicate, etc., and whose authority is higher than that of any individual. ③ Citizens. Citizens had the right to vote and to be elected, but border dwellers, Gentiles, serfs, and women had no citizenship. Citizens are only a few percent of all people. (iv) Compulsory officialdom. There were no official salaries and service was voluntary. Those elected according to the citizens' assembly were generally temporary positions, which were finished after service, and there were only a few fixed official positions. Later, a system of public service allowances was adopted, which to some extent increased citizens' motivation to participate in politics. ⑤ The rule of law. The state was to be governed according to law, with a strict judicial system. Often the founding fathers were the most important legislators. Conflicting struggles between citizens often had a tradition of being resolved first in the law, with armed confrontation used only as a last resort. Athens, the major city-state of ancient Greece, was the birthplace of the idea of democratic politics. Democracy in Athens was the narrowest and the fullest democracy in history. The narrowest means that the number of people enjoying democratic rights was too small; the fullest means that all citizens had direct and equal rights to legislate and govern public affairs. Due to the different geographical environment and economic characteristics, two different political systems emerged in ancient China and Greece and Rome. The political system of ancient China was centered on an authoritarian centralized system. The system of authoritarian centralization continued in China for more than two thousand years, and had far-reaching effects on the formation and development of China's united multinational state, the state and political system, bureaucratic politics and administration, and even culture and education.　　

The early Chinese state political system began to emerge with the establishment of the Xia hereditary system. During the Shang and Zhou periods, it underwent a transformation from a coalition of square states to a ****lord of the world. The centralized system established by the Qin Dynasty had a profound impact on the development of Chinese society for the next two thousand years, while the struggle between centralization and local decentralization continued for a long time, but the overall trend was one of increasing authoritarian imperial power. Attention is drawn to several key points: first, the internal and external service system of the Shang Dynasty and the feudal and patriarchal system of the Western Zhou Dynasty; second, the unification of the Qin Dynasty and the "emperor system", the "three dukes and nine ministers system", and the county system; third, the rebellion of the seven kingdoms of the Han Dynasty and the centralization measures of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the fragmentation of the clans and towns of the Tang Dynasty and the division of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and the centralization of power in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms split situation, measures to strengthen centralization of power in the early Song Dynasty; fourth, the establishment of the three provinces and six ministries system in the Sui and Tang dynasties and the evolution of the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Ming and Qing dynasties monarchical authoritarian system is increasingly strengthened, and the Qing Dynasty has reached its peak.