Rise of Democratic Ideas Vocab

government

a system for controlling and organizing a

society

monarchy

a government headed by a king or queen

aristocracy

a government in which power is in the hands of

a hereditary ruling class or nobility

oligarchy

a government in which power is in the hands of a

few people—especially one in which rule is based upon

wealth

democracy

a government controlled by its citizens/the

people, either directly or through representatives

direct democracy

a government in which citizens rule

directly rather than through representatives

Plato

founder of the Academy in Athens, the first known

school of higher education in the western world

Socrates

Greek philosopher who encouraged his students to

examine their closely held beliefs; he taught through a

question and answer approach that came to be known as the

Socratic Method

republic

a form of government in which power is in the

hands of representatives and leaders are elected by

citizens who have the right to vote

patricians

wealthy landowners who held most of the power

in ancient Rome

plebeians

common artisans, farmers, and merchant in

ancient Rome

Twelve Tables

ancient Roman set of laws that established

the idea that all free citizens had the right to protection

by the law and that laws would be fairly administered

Renaissance

a period of European history, lasting from

about 1300 to 1600, during which renewed interest in

classical culture led to far-reaching changes in art,

learning, and views of the world

Reformation

a 16th-century movement for religious

reform, leading to the founding of Christian churches that

rejected the pope’s authority