The Role Of Government And Politics In Western Civilization
Government and Politics have been developing since the time of Western Civilization. There have been many changes in these areas along the way to get our government to where it is today. Human beings in western civilization had to learn to govern themselves in their small communities giving the control to their elders. They learned the trait of farming which gave the nomadic people food meaning they could create more permanent settlements, which they could then created towns. These small towns were in need of a controlled system of government. The power was then shifted from the elders of their small communities to different members of the small towns. This did not happen overnight however; there were many different styles of government that different communities and city-states worked through. Not all ways of government worked, some created successful Empires while others failed at keeping the small towns successful. Through the years of western civilizations it has transitioned through many different types of governments and politics that helped shape the creation of todays societies. In early western civilization, the period known as the Paleolithic period, consisted of small communities moving year round to follow food. During this time, the power was held in the hands of the
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elders. This was mainly because they knew the most in their community. These communities would try to gain extended families because they could offer work and protection for each other. Normally, it was a male leader who was known as a Patriarch. He was the leader of the community who would decide how the work was divided up among his people. It was usually divided up between sex, gender and age. The nomadic tribes then began to expand their communities wider and they learned the trade of farming. This was a major change. This period became known as the Neolithic period, which held our first system of structured government. The nomadic people gave up the ways of hunting and gathering and converted to farming. It created a more secure and stable community. The settlements of the people in the small communities lead to the creation of towns that were then vulnerable to attacks. Walls were then built to keep these attacks out of their towns. This created a social and political organization by the people because the whole town was working together. Nomadic people taking on the farming trade made way for future urban life, which had the most significant impact on government and politics. Mesopotamia was the starting place of western civilization. There were many problems with this being the starting point or even any point of western civilization. Here there was little water that made farming a huge struggle. Farmers had to create irrigation systems to drain the water away to prevent salt build up in the soil. Stonewalls were built with farmers as well and this along with irrigation was a community effort. These were another few problems that required organization of the community for success. Again, working on the expansion of government through a strong central authority. The factors of the community made urban life possible and gave the Sumerians the help they needed to create the first cities and the real first signs of government. The first creation of cities and government that was established in western civilization was that of the Sumerian’s. They built their cities along side the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Here they gained constant water for crops along with fish and clay from the bottom of the river to use as building material. Although they gained many new attributes to their cities, there was a great restraining force in the political development. The rivers divided the cities, which made communication between the two almost impossible. This was because of the isolation the rivers gave to the cities. Each became its own independent city and very protective of it’s independence. There was great warfare with whoever tried to unite these two cities as one. The leaders of the constant warfare grew to become the kings of the people. Every king after was expected to create an army, train them and bring them into battle. These governments lead to the creation of empires. Specifically the Assyrian Empire that created the first military monarchy. This military was able to take over many small kingdoms allowing the Assyrians to establish an empire. They even governed kingdoms beyond the provinces, which then followed in Assyrian’s way of governing its empire. After the Assyrian’s conquered the kingdoms, the king would either readjust the kings of the conquered kingdom or would be in support of their beliefs and customs. They used their military to their advantage and brutally used new techniques to rule the empire by terror. Such aggression given off by their military lead to the creation of many enemies. Although this empire did not last, some of its governing tactics were then present through the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire took tactics from the Assyrian Empire and used it to their advantage seeing what had happened as a result of too much aggression.
As the Persian Empire conquered surrounding territories they were able to expand much farther west to the Greeks and east to the Indus Valley. The Near East was very successful and this was because they looked at what would happen in the future rather than just acting now. The Persian’s took on some characteristics from conquered territories and gave them the freedom for their own beliefs and customs. The Persian’s created a political unity where they put diplomacy over fear, which laid out a better foundation for later
civilizations. Not only were the Persian’s successful, the Greeks were right there with them. They were very advanced; they developed the polis, which means “city-state.” Their cultures and the way their people lived were based upon the laws of the polis. The polis provided it’s people with protection and the essentials for life. They were provided with water and protection with wall that were built. They were dependent on their countryside of their polis. This is where the food grew and this food was provided to the people of the polis. There was no military in the polis, instead it relied strictly on it’s people. Even though autonomy was the main use of government, monarchy, tyranny, feudalism and oligarchy were the other four types of government present in the polis. The problem with having to rely strictly on their people was the development of warfare because of the wish for individualism. Here is where the Roman Empire took over the Greeks. The most significant role in the creation of politics was the development of the Roman Republic. This republic was highly organized over the government of its people. Social division shaped the political side of the Roman Republic. Patricians held most of the power in the republic which caused conflict with the plebeians; the common people. In the end, the plebeians ended up with more rights. The senate was created to provide stability because they had gained many years worth of experience and knowledge. Shortly after, the development of law came in to play. The law allowed its people to be given property protection and serve justice. The Roman Empire learned, from the Greeks, that after conquering alliances they needed to form political relationships with them. They then set an example for other future civilizations to gain political relationships with conquered territories. The development of government and politics grew greatly from the time of the nomads to the creation of the Roman Republic. The need for an organized and central government was key. Human beings transitioned from nomadic people to a settled agrarian life through many transitions of government and politics. The Paleolithic and Neolithic ages showed the process of working together to achieve higher protection and better advancement in their communities was important for towns. These communities became small city-states, gaining enemies, thus needing an army to protect themselves. Kings emerged from their militaries and governments developed with it’s citizens and towns to lead to the production of Empires. The Roman Empire was the greatest contribution to the development of government and politics, which has set up the systems of government that are seen today.
elders. This was mainly because they knew the most in their community. These communities would try to gain extended families because they could offer work and protection for each other. Normally, it was a male leader who was known as a Patriarch. He was the leader of the community who would decide how the work was divided up among his people. It was usually divided up between sex, gender and age. The nomadic tribes then began to expand their communities wider and they learned the trade of farming. This was a major change. This period became known as the Neolithic period, which held our first system of structured government. The nomadic people gave up the ways of hunting and gathering and converted to farming. It created a more secure and stable community. The settlements of the people in the small communities lead to the creation of towns that were then vulnerable to attacks. Walls were then built to keep these attacks out of their towns. This created a social and political organization by the people because the whole town was working together. Nomadic people taking on the farming trade made way for future urban life, which had the most significant impact on government and politics. Mesopotamia was the starting place of western civilization. There were many problems with this being the starting point or even any point of western civilization. Here there was little water that made farming a huge struggle. Farmers had to create irrigation systems to drain the water away to prevent salt build up in the soil. Stonewalls were built with farmers as well and this along with irrigation was a community effort. These were another few problems that required organization of the community for success. Again, working on the expansion of government through a strong central authority. The factors of the community made urban life possible and gave the Sumerians the help they needed to create the first cities and the real first signs of government. The first creation of cities and government that was established in western civilization was that of the Sumerian’s. They built their cities along side the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Here they gained constant water for crops along with fish and clay from the bottom of the river to use as building material. Although they gained many new attributes to their cities, there was a great restraining force in the political development. The rivers divided the cities, which made communication between the two almost impossible. This was because of the isolation the rivers gave to the cities. Each became its own independent city and very protective of it’s independence. There was great warfare with whoever tried to unite these two cities as one. The leaders of the constant warfare grew to become the kings of the people. Every king after was expected to create an army, train them and bring them into battle. These governments lead to the creation of empires. Specifically the Assyrian Empire that created the first military monarchy. This military was able to take over many small kingdoms allowing the Assyrians to establish an empire. They even governed kingdoms beyond the provinces, which then followed in Assyrian’s way of governing its empire. After the Assyrian’s conquered the kingdoms, the king would either readjust the kings of the conquered kingdom or would be in support of their beliefs and customs. They used their military to their advantage and brutally used new techniques to rule the empire by terror. Such aggression given off by their military lead to the creation of many enemies. Although this empire did not last, some of its governing tactics were then present through the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire took tactics from the Assyrian Empire and used it to their advantage seeing what had happened as a result of too much aggression.
As the Persian Empire conquered surrounding territories they were able to expand much farther west to the Greeks and east to the Indus Valley. The Near East was very successful and this was because they looked at what would happen in the future rather than just acting now. The Persian’s took on some characteristics from conquered territories and gave them the freedom for their own beliefs and customs. The Persian’s created a political unity where they put diplomacy over fear, which laid out a better foundation for later
civilizations. Not only were the Persian’s successful, the Greeks were right there with them. They were very advanced; they developed the polis, which means “city-state.” Their cultures and the way their people lived were based upon the laws of the polis. The polis provided it’s people with protection and the essentials for life. They were provided with water and protection with wall that were built. They were dependent on their countryside of their polis. This is where the food grew and this food was provided to the people of the polis. There was no military in the polis, instead it relied strictly on it’s people. Even though autonomy was the main use of government, monarchy, tyranny, feudalism and oligarchy were the other four types of government present in the polis. The problem with having to rely strictly on their people was the development of warfare because of the wish for individualism. Here is where the Roman Empire took over the Greeks. The most significant role in the creation of politics was the development of the Roman Republic. This republic was highly organized over the government of its people. Social division shaped the political side of the Roman Republic. Patricians held most of the power in the republic which caused conflict with the plebeians; the common people. In the end, the plebeians ended up with more rights. The senate was created to provide stability because they had gained many years worth of experience and knowledge. Shortly after, the development of law came in to play. The law allowed its people to be given property protection and serve justice. The Roman Empire learned, from the Greeks, that after conquering alliances they needed to form political relationships with them. They then set an example for other future civilizations to gain political relationships with conquered territories. The development of government and politics grew greatly from the time of the nomads to the creation of the Roman Republic. The need for an organized and central government was key. Human beings transitioned from nomadic people to a settled agrarian life through many transitions of government and politics. The Paleolithic and Neolithic ages showed the process of working together to achieve higher protection and better advancement in their communities was important for towns. These communities became small city-states, gaining enemies, thus needing an army to protect themselves. Kings emerged from their militaries and governments developed with it’s citizens and towns to lead to the production of Empires. The Roman Empire was the greatest contribution to the development of government and politics, which has set up the systems of government that are seen today.