The founders of the United States also believed that only certain people should be allowed to vote

and elect officials. They chose to structure the United States as a representative democracy. This

means that citizens elect officials, such as senators and representatives, who represent them and

vote on their behalf in Congress. It also means that individual citizens do not vote for the president

directly. Instead, a body called the Electoral College officially casts the votes of each state for

president. As in Athens, when the United States was founded not all people were allowed to vote.

Only white, landowning men had that right. Over time, however, all U.S. citizens over the age of 18

have gained the right to vote.

The key elements of ancient Greek democracy are still in use today. The United States and many

other countries around the world have adopted democratic government to give a voice to their

people. Democracy provides citizens the opportunity to elect officials to represent them. It makes

all citizens equals under the law. We have the ancient Greeks to thank for that.






Read the section "America's Representative Democracy." Select the sentence that suggests some limitations that characterized Athenian democracy also characterized democracy in the United States.


:The founders of the United States also believed that only certain people should be allowed to vote and elect officials.

:They chose to structure the United States as a representative democracy.

:Instead, a body called the Electoral College officially casts the votes of each state for president.

:The key elements of ancient Greek democracy are still in use today.