Although almost everything in American architecture, language, military concepts, and ideals can be traced back to Roman and Greek cultures, the most influential concept that has been retained from Rome and Greece is a government institution. Either the direct democracy of Greece or the elective democracy of Rome can be seen in modern America. Although it is increasingly rare in the United States, direct democracy still exists today. Direct democracy means that each person votes on decisions individually, as opposed to representative democracy in which an elected individual makes or helps make decisions. It dates back to ancient Athens. When farmers and the working class became angered by laws passed by the wealthy Greek Grand Council, they advocated for demos kratia, which translates to democracy in English and can be defined as: government by the people, " Gradually, Athenian leaders agreed that more Greeks should be allowed to participate in the decision-making process of the Great Council” (dsusd.k12.ca.us). Currently, this form of government, advocated by the founders of the United States Constitution, is not common in the United States. Few examples can be seen, such as town meetings, voting in parent-teacher associations or other small town decisions where the number of votes can be counted by hand in a short meeting. However, as many believe the concept of democracy was started in ancient Greece, the system has retained what can even be linked to the checks and balances of modern America. One of the most notable of these was The Ball: “The ball was a group of 500 men, 50 from each of the ten Athenian tribes, who sat on the Council for a year” (history.com). This...... middle of paper ......ent/>.The editors of the Encyclopædia Britannica. "Roman Republic (early state [509 BC-27 BC])." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, December 30, 2013. Web. April 30, 2014. .History.com, staff. “Ancient Greek Democracy.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, January 1, 1996. Web. May 1, 2014. “Sources of Ideas That Shaped America’s Plan of Government.” . Desert Sands Unified School District, nd Web. April 29, 2014. .Trueman, Chris. “How was Rome governed.” How was Rome governed. Np, January 1, 2000. Web. May 1 2014. .