Reply #4: But even back then, democracy was only for free men.

[Cleita]

Women, slaves and serfs were excluded. In ancient Greece, the free male citizens would meet in the agora to pass laws. Since city states like Athens were relatively small, it was easy to do this. I believe Native Americans had a system where everyone, including women were allowed to participate.

I would like to see an experiment in true democracy, maybe at a municipal or county level done here, where the City Council or County Board of Supervisors are citizens that are required to serve for a couple of years. It could be like jury duty, where they are selected by lottery. They should be compensated at a living wage if they have to leave their jobs to do so. Then they would have to spend three months learning how to do the job before they actually were allowed to govern. Those who don't want to do it could be exempted. Who wants a civil servant who doesn't want to do the job.

This way all sides would be represented. There would be no need for campaigns and the costs involved in raising money, which also leads to corruption. If it works on a local level, then I would like this system used for the House of Representatives in Congress. I'll bet there would be no Gingriches or Boehners gumming up the works then.

To answer your question, we don't have a democracy, but a Republic or representative government. However, because of the corruption of how our campaigns are run and our elections done, we don't even have that any more, IMHO, just a shell of such a system to placate us into believing it.