Similarities Between The United States And The Judicial Branch Of The Roman Republic

The motive for creating a bicameral legislature in the US Constitution was to ensure that there is fair representation for both large and small states. The Senate is based on equal representation while the House of Representatives is based on the population of each state. Furthermore, Ancient Rome influenced the US Constitution because it used a system known as checks and balances. Checks and balances is a system where each branch had the power to work against another branch if that branch were to abuse its power or become too powerful. Ancient Rome used this system in order to prevent government corruption and to have a balance of power throughout the government. Polybius, who was a Roman politician, wrote 40 volumes of work that make up The Histories. “For when one [branch] having grown out of proportion to the others aims at supremacy and tends to become too predominant, …[that branch] ...can be counter worked and thwarted by the others” (Document C). The US Constitution also includes checks and balances where the executive, judicial, and legislative branches can check the power of each

One of the most significant reasons that may prove that the Roman Republic is not a democracy is its system in which includes flaws that are not very democratic. In other words, the system can be viewed as rigged. According to Source C, one example of this was that all voting of the people was only held in Rome. This meant that citizens who were not very wealthy or had the ability to waste time

Federalist 51 mentions that “the legislative authority necessarily predominates. The remedy for the inconveniency is to divide the legislature into different branches.” Keeping this idea in mind, it is the reason why the legislative branch is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. By dividing the legislative branch, Congress assures that too many individuals do not control one large portion of the government and that the legislative branch works with more efficiency without too many conflicting opinions. Additionally, in the Judiciary branch, the author explains that “some deviations [from absolute democracy] must be admitted.” The exception is necessary because according the Hamilton or Madison, the branch needs specific qualifications in order to elect essential members and that the position must be permanent so that it combat all dependence on authority. This concept sets up the process by which Supreme Court justices are put into power today where the president appoints a judge to serve for life or until the judge chooses to retire. Moreover, the article proposes the design that the overall government itself should be split into two sections, the federal and state level. This so that the state government can adhere to the values of its individual populations while the federal government lays down the general guidelines so that the state government’s values does not exploit the citizen’s natural

The United States Constitution was influenced by Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome in multiple ways. These ways included republicanism, Ancient Greece’s direct democracy, and Ancient Rome’s branches of government. Republicanism was the principle that states the fact that the people were allowed to vote. In Ancient Rome, the Senators were elected by the patricians who were aristocrats. Aristocrats were wealthy landowners, and they were citizens of Ancient Rome. So technically, the Senators were chosen by the citizens. Ancient Rome had a republican government, so they elected leaders that made important decisions for them. A republican government is also known as an indirect democracy, which is the form of government that the United States

The constitution splits the power given to national government into three branches, which are separate from each other: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. The separation of powers was based on the ideas of Montesquieu, with him ‘L’esprit de lois’ which means the spirit of the law. The executive plays the role of administrating law. The president does this in many ways , for example he; executes federal laws and programs, conducts foreign policy , commands the armed forces, negotiates treaties and other such roles. Checks and balances another main factor of the constitution comes in here, as the people get to keep a check on the president every 4 years with the presidential election, which stops any tyranny of powers. This can also be seen in another branch of government. The legislature passes law, this is done through congress. Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Its roles include;

The Roman government was democratic when it came to the citizens. The citizens could elect their own officials, and the officials were supposed to represent every level of Roman society. There were many types of officials. The two consuls were the chief officials of Rome. Once elected, they served for two years (Trueman, Chris). One of their most important powers was controlling the army (Government under Roman Republic). When they were unsure of a course of action, they were advised by the Senate, a council of around six hundred male citizens (Trueman, Chris). Those six hundred men were usually from wealthy patrician families and were the ones in charge of making the laws and controlling the spending. Contrary to the election of the other officials, the Senate was appointed by the current Consuls. Once they were appointed, they served for life. When one member died, another was chosen in their place (Government).

The principle of the Roman government was to function for the people, hence classifying them as a republic (Res Publica or the Thing or Matter of the People). Before the commencement of the Republic, Rome was ruled by a line of Etruscan kings called Tarquins. The

From 509 BC to about 27 BC, Rome was considered a republic. During this time there was no single leader of Rome and the government was run by elected officials. The main leaders of the Roman Republic were the consuls. There were always two consuls in power at a time. Each year new consuls were elected to serve for a one-year term. This kept any one man from becoming too powerful in the government. At the time the Senate was the most powerful governing body in Rome. The Senate had control of the state’s finances and foreign policies. Senators were elected by the people to represent them in government. The Senate was made up of 300 of the most elite and wealthiest of the Roman Republic. One of the most important roles of the Senate to undergo the checks and balances of the Roman government. Checks and balances are the “principle of government under which separate branches are empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are induced to share power” (The Editors). The checks and balances of Rome helped to stabilize the government and allowed the power to be distributed somewhat equally between the consul, the Senate, and the people. However, the fall of the Roman Empire eliminated this type aspect of government in Rome (Kagan 101-103).

There is a fundamental difference between a democracy and a republic as it concerned the political entitlement of the citizenry. The citizens of a republic do not participate directly with governmental affairs. The citizens of a republic can however have a say in who does participate. The Roman republic has two prefect systems to prevent dictatorship which didn’t work.

A common characteristic that contributes to the practices of democracy is the concept of checks and balances. James Madison, the fourth president quoted "the accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands...may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny." These checks and balances are primarily used to assure that the government or no branches or offices of the government hold to much power. The term “separation of powers” is somewhat inaccurate in terms of the powers are not actually be divided but they are ideally shared. The founding fathers of this country believed that unrestrained power is dangerous, and is a good thing the president and court check each other along with the state and federal governments. For example, the Congress is in charge of making the laws and other legislature authority but the president can veto that bill. In return, the president is also limited because the congress can then override the veto by 2/3 of the majority. The

Both the United States and roman republic have government that is similar today. In the United States we have the: executive branch, legislative branch, and judicial branch. The twelve tables remind me of the bill of rights. The law of the twelve

The Roman lives were based on the Twelve Tables, which were their written laws enforced by the government. The Twelve Tables were stable for over a millennium until the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D. The Romans were able to keep control through fair legal rights basically saying any crime was intolerable, but could be solved in a court case to determine the fate of the criminal. The Romans were half democratic and gave the people some voice by selecting representatives. This ruling helped decimate any crime and prevent murder. Although there are many positives to this ruling, innocent newborns with a deformity were ruthlessly killed. (Doc. 6)

Have you ever thought that the U.S. government is easily comparable to the Roman's version of government? Maybe that's because the U.S. government is roughly parallel with the Ancient Roman Government. The Romans did not have a constitution, like us Americans, but their division of executive, legislative, and judicial branches is similar. The Roman government served as a template for the American government. As you read further, you will see how the governmental structures, with detail, are similar by first making points on the American style contrasted with the Roman style of government.

The Roman Republic was a “democratic” republic, which allowed first citizens to vote, and to choose their governors in the senate (Hence, their consuls). However, it was a nation ruled by its aristocracy, and, consequently, the entire Republic`s power was concentrated in a few individuals. Furthermore, the Senate was controlled by Patricians, which directed the government by using wealth to buy control and power over the decisions of the senate and the consuls. This situation aroused the inconformity of the people; as result, a civil war took place in the Republic (destroying it), and then the Roman Empire was born.

Roman government is the origin for all of our current government system. The Romans has three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. The executive had two councils that decided on pretty much every affair within the empire. In the legislative branch was a senate, which advised the executive branch. Lastly in the judicial they had a Supreme Court. Also there was a written law consisting of twelve tablets that gave allowed the citizens to know their rights. As one can tell, the Roman system of government is much like the one currently residing in the United States of America.