Ancient Democratic Practices

Democracy Beyond Athens

While Athenian democracy is widely studied, many other societies throughout history have developed democratic and participatory governance systems. This research area examines these diverse models of democratic practice.

Our research challenges the narrative that democracy is exclusively a Western invention, exploring participatory governance practices from:

• The Indian subcontinent, including the Sangha traditions and early republics
• Pre-colonial governance in Africa
• Mesoamerican and South American participatory systems
• Island societies of the Pacific
• Medieval European commons and guild structures

Current Projects

• Comparative study of sortition (selection by lot) across cultures
• Women’s participation in ancient democratic systems
• Documentation of consensus processes in non-state societies
• Resource governance in ancient democratic systems