Comparing the Republic of America and the Republic of Rome

Comparing the Republic of Rome and the Republic of America

A comparative look at the Roman Struggle of the Orders and the Civil Rights Movement in America

It has been recorded that the Struggle for the Orders in Rome happened from 494 BC to 287 BC. The struggle reflected the conflict between Patricians and the Plebeians over the what each was eligible for in terms of stakes in Rome. Members of the Patrician community were regarded as the noble people who were also aristocrats. On the contrary, the Plebeians were largely lower class people. This group is what constituted the farmers and workers, in general. The Plebeians pressed for exceptions to the notion. Therefore, they constituted a raft of demands that they presented to their Patrician counterparts. Their petition demanded for recourse on wrongs that had been committed against their own. Since the Patricians were not willing to compromise, and the plebeians were serious about their demands, a struggle ensued. It would last for nearly 200 years. The struggle started with attempts to create laws that would suppress the leaders of the plebeian people and the leaders that were fighting for their rights. The struggle ended with an alliance between the two groups. However, the alliance was more of a formal arrangement that had little impact in the attitudes of the two groups. The struggles continued internally until they triggered the end of the Ronan Republic. The Plebeians had made a strong case in the struggle. They finally began to witness the realization of the change they had yearned for (Rome Divided: Struggle of the Orders para 1-3).

In Comparison, the Civil Rights Movement in the US is responsible for restoring universal suffrage in the political life of the Southern states. It helped to bring racial segregation to an end. The US Civil rights movement involved several strategies to pile pressure on the white majority leadership to change the laws. The Movement used mass media, litigation, boycotts and demonstrations to drive their point home. Non violent demonstrators were harassed and arrested; acts that inspired more people to rise and support the cause of the movement. The activities of the movement sparked a crisis nationally. The consequence was that the segregation laws that were in effect in the southern states were removed by the federal government. Discrimination was also outlawed across the social, economic and political spectrum. Blacks were allowed to vote (Zunes and Jesse para1).

· Comparing the Government Struggles

In Rome, the government executive constituted two consuls. They were elected to serve for a year. They commanded the army and coordinated the government operations. In the US, they elect their president to serve for four years. The president is the head of government and the military commander overall commander. The legislature in Rome was constituted by 300 senate members. They were responsible for setting policies and advising the consuls. They also selected senior officials in government. In the US, the legislature is made of 100 senators. They advise the president and make laws. They also advise the House of Representatives. The Basis of Roman law was a legal code made of 12 tables. It is the code that set up the civil rights of the citizens. The US constitution is the basis of American law. The law outlines government powers and the rights of individuals. Rome had eight head judges in the judiciary. They were in charge of provinces and oversaw court activity. In the US, the Judiciary is headed by nine Supreme Court Judges (Plutarch and Tatum 439).

• Government Structure

Both Roman and U.S governments use a tripartite government system. The system is designed to provide checks to the powers of any of the branches. Just like Rome, there is a written constitution which guides government. The Roman system only recognized male adults who were free as citizens. They were expected to perform civil duties. Civic duty in the US is demonstrated by voting, paying taxes and participating in jury duty (Plutarch and Tatum 439).

· Territorial Expansion Compared

The fall of the Roman Monarchy paved way for the formation of the Roman Republic. At the onset, Rome was not much known. However the city would grow to a world power in the Italian peninsula and the Mediterranean region. The Roman senate started campaigns to expand the Roman territory towards the end of the 5th C BCE. Indeed, the boarders of Rome were expanded over the next several centuries following the campaigns. Rom expanded to include Italy, France, Greece, Spain, the northern part of Africa and several other regions under their jurisdiction (Roman Republic para1&3).

The initial decades of the 19th C saw America undergo various dramatic changes under the Republican leadership. The new Republic was faced with a myriad of challenges including conflict with nations of the East and Great Britain following its expansion to the west. It is such conflicts that triggered the war in 1812. The war marked an important point in the life of the new America. It also got into a war with its former colonial master and survived. These conflicts helped to unite Americans in solidarity. America defined its own identity and way of running its affairs after the 1812 War (U.S. History para2-4). The period between the end of the War of Revolution in 1783 and The Second War for American Independence in 1815 marked dramatic political changes that also triggered great innovations in the state and federal constitutions. There was increased settlement of westerners; one of the signs that the country was growing (U.S. History para2-4).