What did democracy really mean in Athens? - Melissa Schwartzberg
1,230,974 Views
48,921 Questions Answered
Let’s Begin…
While we might consider elections to be the cornerstone of democracy, the Athenians who coined the term actually employed a lottery system to choose most of their politicians. Melissa Schwartzberg describes the ins and outs of the Athenian democracy, and addresses some ways in which a lottery system might benefit us today.
About TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Director Jeremiah Dickey
- Educator Melissa Schwartzberg
- Script Editor Alex Gendler
- Narrator Addison Anderson
![](http://teded.tedcdn.com/assets/avatars/teded-logo-square-78f74aaa4fb2729b80a49587a87012916f67f5f849debaa4f6ef6f4e005e4f03.png)