demes and democracy

(Notes based on a lecture by visiting professor Dr.
Thomas W Simon in Constitutional Law class)

In many societies, the idea of democracy is foreign.
Democracy meaning "rule by the people" is a foreign
concept where societies have accepted as the norm
theocracies (rule by men of god) and autocracies (rule
by a person or small group of persons). Though the
concept of "rule of the people, by the people, for the
people" may have begun in Athens, ancient Greece. Yet
the term "democracy" was first used in a legislative
sense, it can be argued, in the United States of
America. Prior to that, the term "democracy" as a
concept was first used only in the Renaissance.

More important than democracy is "deme" which Dr.
Thomas feels is an untold story in the study of
constitutional law. The term "deme" was used by
Cleisthenes to describe artificial borders set up by
the state to form electoral districts. Prior to the
concept of demes, ancient Greece was by and large
demarcated along boundraries which reflected the
tribes and their so-called territories. The demes
borders did not follow these traditional lines, and
instead cut across them. As a result, persons who
would normally lobby a certain tribal group had to
lobby across various groups. Previously, persons
seeking votes dealt directly with tribal chiefs. The
appeal for the vote had to rise above the traditional
tribe. In the process, the concept of democracy was
born.

It is interesting that Thailand (if I recall my
History lessons) also applied the same concept, by
dividing the whole of Thailand along concenctric
circles emanating from a single source. In so doing,
the traditional powerlines of tribes and tiny fiefdoms
were destroyed, eroding their source of power. It made
way for a more democratic kind of governance.

A further discussion is found at plato-dialogues.org:
http://plato-dialogues.org/tools/attica.htm (Article,
"Attic Tribes and Demes")

What are the chances of this same phenomenon being
implemented in Malaysia?

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