<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Athenian democracy developed around the fifth century BC in the Greek city - state (known as a polis) of Athens, comprising the city of Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica, and is the first known democracy in the world . Other Greek cities set up democracies, most following the Athenian model, but none are as well documented as Athens' . </P> <P> It was a system of direct democracy, in which participating citizens voted directly on legislation and executive bills . Participation was not open to all residents: to vote one had to be an adult, male citizen i.e. neither a foreign resident, slave or a woman and the number of these "varied between 30,000 and 50,000 out of a total population of around 250,000 to 300,000" or "no more than 30 percent of the total adult population ." </P>

What political system originated in the ancient greek city of athens