<Li> The United States : the Founding Fathers rejected ' democracy ' as defined by the Greeks , preferring instead ' a natural aristocracy ' , whereby only the landed gentry were entitled to a place in Congress . The Americans , as with the British , took their cue from the Roman republic model : only the patrician classes were involved in government . <Ul> <Li> 1776 : Virginia Declaration of Rights </Li> <Li> United States Constitution ratified in 1788 , created bicameral legislature with members of the House of Representatives elected `` by the People of the several states , '' and members of the Senate elected by the state legislatures . The Constitution did not originally define who was eligible to vote , leaving that to the constituent states , which mostly enfranchised only adult white males who owned land . </Li> <Li> 1791 : the United States Bill of Rights ratified . </Li> <Li> 1790s : First Party System in U.S. involves invention of locally rooted political parties in the United States ; networks of party newspapers ; new canvassing techniques ; use of caucus to select candidates ; fixed party names ; party loyalty ; party platform ( Jefferson 1799 ) ; </Li> <Li> 1800 : peaceful transition between parties </Li> </Ul> </Li>
<Li> The United States : the Founding Fathers rejected ' democracy ' as defined by the Greeks , preferring instead ' a natural aristocracy ' , whereby only the landed gentry were entitled to a place in Congress . The Americans , as with the British , took their cue from the Roman republic model : only the patrician classes were involved in government . <Ul> <Li> 1776 : Virginia Declaration of Rights </Li> <Li> United States Constitution ratified in 1788 , created bicameral legislature with members of the House of Representatives elected `` by the People of the several states , '' and members of the Senate elected by the state legislatures . The Constitution did not originally define who was eligible to vote , leaving that to the constituent states , which mostly enfranchised only adult white males who owned land . </Li> <Li> 1791 : the United States Bill of Rights ratified . </Li> <Li> 1790s : First Party System in U.S. involves invention of locally rooted political parties in the United States ; networks of party newspapers ; new canvassing techniques ; use of caucus to select candidates ; fixed party names ; party loyalty ; party platform ( Jefferson 1799 ) ; </Li> <Li> 1800 : peaceful transition between parties </Li> </Ul> </Li>
where did the us get the idea of democracy
where did the us get the idea of democracy
the Roman republic model
the Roman republic model