The main difference between the American and Athenian democratic systems is the degree to which both guarded against the negative effects of mob rule. Due to the lack of a representative legislative body, the Athenian democratic system was more susceptible to harmful mob rule effects than the current American democratic system. A very popular example of the negative effects of mob rule in Athens is the fact that the public assembly voted to go to war with Sparta, a decision which ultimately led to the downfall of Athens. During the war, Pericles instructed the citizens to lock down the city and remain very conservative, and he promised that it would help win the war. Thucydides tells us that instead the public did “the very contrary, allowing private ambitions and private interests, in matters apparently quite foreign to the war, to lead them into projects unjust both to themselves and to their allies—projects whose success would only conduce to the honour and advantage of private persons, and whose failure entailed certain disaster on the country in the war.”[1] Thucydides is saying that since the citizens were given majority rule and their decisions were driven by anger and anxiety from the war, they were bound to make decisions that benefited the individual temporarily but not the state nor the future of the state. Even Aeschines condemned the state of the Athenian democracy and assembly, saying “there are men who do not hesitate to make illegal motions, and other men who are ready to put these motions to the vote”, meaning that the assembly had come to the point where there was no order and tradition because mob rule was beginning to take over.[2] Mob rule was a very real issue in the Athenian democracy because there was no official body that could counteract the decisions of the masses to ensure that decisions were made with the state in mind.
The American democratic system, more accurately described as a republic, is comprised of several institutions that guard against mob rule. The most prominent example is the elected legislative body we call Congress. The power of the people lies in the fact that they directly elect the legislative officials, but in the case that the public opinion shifts in a direction that may harm the state, the legislative body has the responsibility to withhold against the sudden sway of public opinion. Even if the legislature caves to the sudden sway of public opinion, the nationally elected President has the power to keep the legislature in check if he deems that the state may face harm. In the event that the President also caves to the public opinion, our court system has the power to reverse any decisions that violate the concrete Constitution of our nation. If even the courts decide to agree with a sudden sway of public opinion, it can be concluded that such a change in opinion will be helpful to the nation. The American system is so beautiful because each institution of our society has different and competing powers and agendas, ensuring almost to the point of certainty that a political takeover of a majority is impossible. Mob rule in America is non-existent because of the institutions of the government (elected by the people) that serve the goodwill of the state, not the individual.
-Andrew Mitchell
Word Count: 563
[1]History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides
[2] Against Ctesiphon, Aeschines
The West in the Pre-Modern World 
I wholeheartedly agree with your interpretation of the American and Athenian democratic systems. From all that we have discussed in class, it was made apparent that the Athenian public was easily swayed to make crucial decisions based off of the word of an angry or well spoken member of the Assembly. While the times have changed and people have become much more well educated, there is not a doubt in my mind that there would be any other outcome if we maintained a direct democracy. The checks and balances provided in the American democracy prevent many errors from being made, and rightfully so. That isn’t to say, however, that the American system isn’t without its flaws. When you mentioned the Assembly deciding to go to war with Sparta I instantly thought of the Vietnam War. It is thought by many that going into Vietnam was a major mistake, and looking back now it is apparent that all of our efforts there were a waste of manpower and lives. Your main point was that mob rule was the most prominent detractor from the Athenian democracy, and I completely agree. There are errors in the way that the United States is run, but overall the constant watchful eye of the public and other political bodies keeps everything in check. Improvements can be made, but the American democracy is still orders of magnitude more efficient and effective than the Athenian democracy.
Cyrus Malek-Madani
Word Count: 238
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Cameron Douglas
The sharp distinction between the Athenian model of democracy and that of modern America is clear and articulate in this blog. A direct democracy is unstable and nearly impossible to enforce. The American system is indeed beautiful and well explained by the author in layman terms. Although the blog post strongly sided with a representative republic, it could have touched on some of the benefits of a direct democracy. There are many positive characteristics associated with a direct democracy in theory — such as the equality of every individual’s voice, the power resides in the people, the state acts at the will of its people, etc. Additionally, there were some positive consequences of administering a direct democracy in ancient Greece. There are sometimes when the general populace desires an outcome completely different from that of the elected elite. For instance, shortly following the Peloponnesian wars and the overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants, Athens was faced with the decision of how to punish those who betrayed Athens in favor of the Thirty. The decision to ultimately pardon them of their crimes was voted on by the Athenian assembly. The vote would have undoubtedly had different results, possibly for the worst, if the population was represented by delegates. This being said, the American model is superior in its efficiency, effectiveness, and sensibility.
Word count: 219
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