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507 BCE
Democracy Develops in Athens
Democracy was introduced by an Athenian leader in 507BC. He called it "demokratia" which translates to "rule by the people", as democracy is a type of government where the citizens have power. -
27 BCE
The Roman Senate Votes to Give Dictatorial Powers to Octavian
When the Roman senate gave Octavian extraordinary power, the Roman Empire became a dictatorship, which means one leader has absolute authority in the state. This resulted in vanishing democracy for centuries. -
John Locke writes "Two Treatises of Government"
The "Two Treaties of Government" is a political philosophy published by John Locke, outlining liberal political ideas that he had. These liberal political ideas placed an emphasis on human rights. -
Montesquieu Writes "The Spirit of Laws"
Montesquieu's book, "The Spirit of Laws", was a comparative study of three types of government: republic, monarchy, and despotism. Montesquieu believed that a separation of powers would give balance to society. -
Ben Franklin Writes to James Parker About the Federal Organization of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy
Franklin writes to Parker about the federal organization of the Iroquois Confederacy. Franklin through that the British colonies in America should adopt the federal system that the Iroquois used, which was a system where political authority is divided between two autonomous sets of governments, one national and the other subnational. -
The Continental Congress Adopts the Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, which started the process of creating the US republic. This means that the US government would adopt a process where a state is ruled by representatives of the citizen body. -
The Nation State of Canada is Created
With the passage of the British North America Act, Canada is created. This act provided responsible government for the former colonies, which means that the government embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability to the people. -
Canada Has Its First Secret Ballot Election
The Canadian election held in 1874 was to elect members of the House of Commons. It was a secret ballot, which means that every voter's identity remains anonymous. -
Lenin Dies, Allowing Stalin to Claim Dictatorial Power in the USSR
When president Vladimir Lenin died, Joseph Stalin was able to take power in the USSR. This lead to a ruthless dictatorship and the death of millions of people. -
The Persons’ Case Ruling
The Persons' Case was a constitutional ruling that established the right for woman to be appointed to the Senate. -
Hitler Passes the Enabling Act
The Enabling Act was a piece of legislature passed by Adolf Hitler in 1933 that gave him full power, allowing the government to do whatever they wanted without needing consent from the parliament. This act resulted in converting Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship. -
First Nations People in Canada Are Granted Suffrage
In 1960, First Nations people of Canada were granted suffrage. This means that they were granted the right to vote in federal elections without conditions, and they no longer needed to give up their Indian Status to vote. -
Soweto Uprising in South Africa
The Soweto Uprising protested the majority tyranny laws that prevented black children from getting an education in their preferred language. Majority tyranny is a situation in which a group of people are treated unfairly because their situation is different from the situation of most of the people in a country. -
The Reform Party of Canada is Created
The Reform Party of Canada was created in 1987, with one of their main platforms being the creation of a Triple E Senate. A Triple E Senate is a proposed variation of reform to the current Canadian Senate, calling for senators to be elected in numbers equally representative of each province to create an equal, elected, and effective Senate. -
The Referendum on the Charlottetown Accord Fails to Pass
A referendum is a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision, and the referendum on the Charlottetown Accord it was a package of proposed amendments to the constitution. If the referendum on the Charlottetown Accord hadn't failed to pass, it would have included special rights for First Nations and Francophone Canadians. -
George W. Bush Wins His First Term as President
George W. Bush won his first term as president of the United States without winning a majority of the votes. This is due to America's Electoral College system, which means that a body of electors chosen by the voters in each state to elect the president and vice president. -
The Harper Government Passes Bill C-16
The Harper government passed Bill C-16, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act, which brought fixed date elections to Canada's electoral system. This means that election dates are fixed so that elections occur on a more regular timeline and the date of a forthcoming election is publicly known. -
President Mugabe Blames the UK for the Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe
The president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, blamed the UK for the disaterous cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe in 2008. The practice of blaming someone else for one's issues is called "scapegoating".