Power and the People: The Enduring Legacy of Athenian Democracy

The best way to deal with the twin crises of apathy and polarization afflicting modern-day democracies is to revisit democracy’s origins in ancient Greece, according to this intriguing debut from reporter Scott (Turkish Awakening) and historian Makres. Based on the origins and early functioning of “direct and deliberative democracy” in Athens in the 4th and 5th centuries BCE, the authors posit five lessons for today. In the first (“Don’t Be an Idiotes”), they explain how ancient Athenians were required to engage as public citizens. Other lessons, including “Stop the Demagogues” and “Don’t Be a Superpower,” address weaknesses that contributed to the downfall of ancient Greece and find links to such modern-day issues as the rise of Donald Trump and the legacy of British imperialism on the Brexit campaign. Though the authors unearth plenty of interesting tidbits about the origins of democracy, they are less successful in describing how modern-day governments might be overhauled. For example, their discussion of electronic voting, online petitions, and heightened scrutiny of government policy via social media outlines the risks of such technologies but doesn’t firmly conclude whether they outweigh the benefits. This richly detailed account will leave readers enlightened about the past, but still worried about the future of democracy. (Sept.)