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Cleisthenes, an affluent member, then ushered in the return of democratic governance with a fresh round of reforms. Furthermore, when power was usurped by the Pisistratid tyrants, it was the massive wealth of the Alcmaeonid clan that assisted in freeing the city. In this system, only those who met certain property quotas could hold public office. These reforms established a class or caste system based on wealth.
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The Greek polis of Athens is the most renowned democracy of the ancient world and owed its basic institutions to the reforms of Solon in 584 BCE.
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Historically, the progress of democratic forms of government point to the influence of the rich who provided benefits for both nascent and established democracies. Both history and political thought support such an argument. This argument would be tantamount to claiming that all democracies are plutocracies, or that the notion of rule by the wealthy as a positive ideal. It could even be argued that democracy cannot survive without the support and influence of the rich. While Senator Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has labelled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 as “the most scandalous, obscene act of plutocracy ever,” wealth and democracy have always been intrinsically linked to each other. It recalls the atmosphere during the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-2010 and the landmark Citizens United v. The election of Donald Trump to the office of the US presidency has reinvigorated national discussions in the United States about the role of money in politics. Photo by “Photos of Money”, via Flickr Creative Commons