Abstract:

This historical review tracks developments in government from the tribalism of hunter-gatherers; to larger, authoritarian communities after the agricultural revolution; to the early experiment with democratic city-states in ancient Greece; to the post-Renaissance struggles (fueled by science, the printing press, and free markets) among nations and prenational units. Twentieth-century totalitarian regimes in Germany, Russia, and China are shown to have given way to democratic blossomings (triumphal, if troubled) in Cambodia, India, Africa, and the Middle East. Guide includes script and bibliography. Grades 9·2. Closed captioned. Color. 25 minutes. Hawkhill. ©2001.