Was Ancient Rome or Athens a better form of government?

The Roman system of government was a republic, which meant that citizens could vote for who would represent them in government. The Athenian system of government was a direct democracy, which meant that the entire body of citizens voted for virtually everything that was decided by the government. Both systems limited citizenship, but it was easier to acquire citizenship in Rome than in Athens.

The Roman system of government was more complex, but offered a...

The Roman system of government was a republic, which meant that citizens could vote for who would represent them in government. The Athenian system of government was a direct democracy, which meant that the entire body of citizens voted for virtually everything that was decided by the government. Both systems limited citizenship, but it was easier to acquire citizenship in Rome than in Athens.

The Roman system of government was more complex, but offered a more flexible and efficient form of government than in Athens. Since it was more efficient and allowed for greater flexibility, I believe it was the better form of political organization. Athens was often criticized by other city-states as being dictated by "mob" rule. In other words, the political climate changed often at the mood of the people. In Rome, greater stability existed and military and political officers were granted more power and influence as a result. The consequence of having powerful and influential leaders is that more can be achieved because political leaders can make decisions for the good of the state without fear of being replaced at the whims of the populace. For this reason, the Roman system of government can be considered superior to Athens.