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507 BCE
Democracy in Athens Greece
Democracy develops in Athens, Greece Democracy: a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. -
27 BCE
Roman Senate votes to give extraordinary powers to Octavian
The Roman Senate votes to give extraordinary (dictatorial) powers to Octavian who then adopts the name Augustus, essentially ending the Roman Republic - democracy vanishes for centuries Dictatorial: a ruler with total power. -
John Locke writes Two Treatises of Government
John Locke writes Two Treatises of Government outlining some liberal political ideals
Liberal: relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise. -
Montesquieu writes The spirit of the Laws
Montesquieu writes The Spirit of the Laws, explaining the need for three branches of government
Three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial -
Benjamin Franklin writes to James Parker
Benjamin Franklin writes to James Parker about the federal organization of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (Iroquois League) Federal: having or relating to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs -
Adoption of the Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress (representing the Thirteen Colonies) adopts the Declaration of Independence, starting the process of creating the US republic
Republic: a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch. -
Creation of Canada
The nation-state of Canada is created through the passage of the British North America Act, providing responsible government for the former colonies
Government: the governing body of a nation, state, or community. -
Secret Ballot
Canada holds the first federal election to have secret ballot
Secret Ballot: a ballot in which votes are cast in secret. -
Stalin takes power
Lenin dies, opening the door for Stalin to take power in the USSR (leading to a ruthless dictatorship) Stalin: was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who governed the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. -
Persons' Case
The Persons’ Case determines that women are in fact persons and should have full rights Persons' Case: The Persons Case opened the Senate to women, enabling them to work for change in both the House of Commons and the Upper House. Moreover, the legal recognition of women as “persons” meant that women could no longer be denied rights based on a narrow interpretation of the law. -
Hitler passes the Enabling Act
Hitler passes the Enabling Act, moving Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship
Enabling Act: a statute empowering a person or body to take certain action, especially to make regulations, rules, or orders. -
Suffrage to First Nations
First Nations peoples in Canada are granted suffrage Suffrage: the right to vote in political elections. -
The Soweto Uprisings in South Africa protest the majority tyranny laws
The Soweto Uprisings in South Africa protest the majority tyranny laws that prevented Black students from getting an education in their preferred language under the Apartheid rules; some students are killed by police
Majority Tyranny: 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 democratic country. -
Reform Party of Canada is created
The Reform Party of Canada is created; one of their key platforms is the Triple E Senate Triple E Senate: ( acronym for equal, elected, and effective) is a proposed variation of reform to the current Canadian Senate, calling for senators to be elected to exercise effective powers in numbers equally representative of each province -
Rights for First Nations and Francophone Canadians
The referendum on the Charlottetown Accord, which would include special rights for First Nations and Francophone Canadians, fails to pass Referendum: a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision. -
George W. Bush win his first term
George W. Bush wins his first term as president of the United States without winning a majority of the votes due to the US electoral college system. Electoral college: The United States Electoral College is a name used to describe the official 538 Presidential electors who come together every four years during the presidential election to give their official votes for President and Vice President of the United States -
Fixed date elections in Canada
The Harper Government passes Bill C-16, An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act, which brings in fixed date elections to Canada’s federal electoral system
Fixed date elections: A fixed-term election is an election that occurs on a set date, and cannot be changed by incumbent politicians other than through exceptional mechanisms if at all. -
President Mugabe of Zimbabwe blames the UK for the cholera outbreak in his country
President Mugabe of Zimbabwe blames the UK for the cholera outbreak in his country, thus making the UK a scapegoat for the problems being faced in his country. Scapegoat: a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency.