Lessons from the Roman Republic

Although Rome is famous for its vast empire, few realize that Rome was once a republic. In 509 B.C.E. the Roman nobility replaced the Etruscan monarchy with an aristocratic republic. Designed for a small city-state, the government consisted of two consuls with executive power, who were elected by an assembly who wielded legislative authority. This assembly was made up of wealthy aristocrats who spoke on behalf of all Roman people. Since the wealthy dominated the Senate and made all major decisions on behalf of all Romans, tensions rose between the common people and the aristocrats. With tensions rising between socioeconomic classes, the patricians (wealthy members of society) allowed the common people to elect officials called tribunes to represent them in the government. Because of this, Rome became a more participatory republic.
Meanwhile, Rome was expanding its territory with its highly disciplined military, and it was establishing its presence around the Mediterranean basin. New land and wealth brought power to Rome, which would eventually account for Rome's republican downfall. Wealth and power brought benefits for some, but problems for many. The Roman constitution no longer was effective now that Rome had expanded beyond a small city-state and was now a vast empire. Class tensions rose due to the unequal redistribution of wealth and land.
People who tried to fix Rome's problems were assassinated by the conservative and aristocratic leaders trying to maintain their political status and power. Political power remained in the hands of the wealthy and the privileged, instead of opportunity being distributed throughout all classes of Roman society. When it was clear that the constitution needed reworking, Roman civil and military leaders started personal armies of common people to gain power. In the first century B.C.E. Rome fell into civil war. Eventually, Julius Caesar rose to power and even though he established an imperial form of government, he favored liberal policies and social reform and because he alienated many of the Roman elite and favored the common people, the elite assassinated him on March 15, 44 B.C.E.
Today, in America, problems such as the rule of an elite class of citizens and unequal redistribution of wealth, are real. We are a country that brings in wealth and power. How can the government positively deal with these benefits of a powerful nation? Redistribution of obtained wealth will prevent the wealth and power being consolidated in an elite class. If it is aimed at the elite class, political power is sure to follow. Self-government cannot become a reality if wealth and power are aimed at the privileged since the wealthy will obtain political power that was once in the hands of the people. Equal social and economic opportunity are basic axioms of an enlightened and democratic society and by aiming them at a certain class, putting the interests of others to the side, our republican experiment has failed.