How do you think Plato would feel about modern democracies like the United States and Canada? Why?

Plato would be shocked to learn that the US government is called a democracy. He would recognize that there are institutions of a "democratic" nature but would be baffled by anyone wanting to claim the word democracy. In Plato's time, ancient democracy was associated with tyranny of the majority and chaos. For the next two thousand years after Plato, the world generally considered "democracy" to be a bad word. After the world's first "modern" democracy following the American Revolution and especially the French Revolution the word "democracy" gained respect for the first time in all of history. Looking back from today's perspective we can see there is a giant difference between ancient democracy when compared with modern democracy. Essentially, modern democracy has solved all the faults and problems that Plato accused the ancient form of having. There is absolutely no way that Plato could foresee the new knowledge coming in the next two thousand years - his main downfall being mankind's disgust with his favorite form called monarchy.

Explanation:

Plato would be shocked to learn that the US government is called a democracy. He would recognize that there are institutions of a "democratic" nature but would be baffled by anyone wanting to claim the word democracy. In Plato's time, ancient democracy was associated with tyranny of the majority and chaos. For the next two thousand years after Plato, the world generally considered "democracy" to be a bad word. After the world's first "modern" democracy following the American Revolution and especially the French Revolution the word "democracy" gained respect for the first time in all of history. Looking back from today's perspective we can see there is a giant difference between ancient democracy when compared with modern democracy. Essentially, modern democracy has solved all the faults and problems that Plato accused the ancient form of having. There is absolutely no way that Plato could foresee the new knowledge coming in the next two thousand years - his main downfall being mankind's disgust with his favorite form called monarchy.

1. The judicial review checks if the law passed by the congress is constitutional. This limits the power of the congress without it and it would have unlimited power, and could for example re-introduce slavery. The congress won't do it, because they know that the law would be deemed unconstitutional. 

2.  The president is foremost a Chief of State - that also means the Head of State. This means that the president represents the US, for example during the meeting of the Heads of State. 

3. The US Civil Service is the workforce of people working for the Government in non-military positions.They are employed, and not elected, so they don't have terms. Those positions include administrative positions in the government. 

4.The Cabinet is the Council of the heads of the departments which is the body that the President works with most directly, and it advises the president on their relevant areas of expertise.