How would an Athenian of the 5th Century BCE criticize our present-day representative democracy? (or.... how would they approve of it?)

An Athenian of the 5th Century BCE would aprove of our democracy. Both democracys revolve around the same concept, that the people should govern themselves and everyone should have a say. In athenian democracy they didn't allow people to rule for very long to make sure no one had too much power, so they would like our system of checks and balances, which insures the same thing. However they would probably not like how hard it is to partake in government. In athens, any white male over the age of 18, common or not, could participate. Today in order to participate in government at all, you have to campaigne, which takes so much money and resourses that only rich people can participate.

Mayan values exemplified in modern society

Mayan civilazation has had a major affect on modern day society. Things we encounter everyday have been influenced by Mayan ideas and we usually aren't even aware of it. For example; sports. The Mayan's were the first to create an organized team game involving a ball. Today, we have many sports that involve this concept, such as basketball and soccer. Also present in our everyday lives is Mayan food. Mayans ate mostly corn, squash, beans and turkey; all ingredients we still eat today. Lastly, Mayan mythology has had an effect on us as well. The Mayans had a complex calender they used to predict events that are happening today; like solar and lunar eclipses. Also Mayans had a myth that in 2012 the world would dramatically change. People in general as well as scientists have been fascinated by this myth, and it is an issue people are tallking about today. A movie about it called 2012 is also coming out soon. Everyday basic things like food, sports, movies, and much more have all been influenced by mayan civilization.