Athenian democracy could not succeed in America for these two reasons. First, the size of the population. Athenian democracy requires and incentivizes political participation in a central congress, which is effective in the smaller numbers present in Athens. In the United States, the number of eligible voters per district is considerably larger, which would put a strain on decision-making and the efficiency of the system. It would be difficult to coordinate and direct large numbers of people towards a decision. Athenian democracy also relies on people banding together, a tall order for a large country. The population of the United States is spread over many miles, thousands of times larger than the city-state of Athens. Organizing mass transit would be a statistical nightmare and productivity would grind to a halt. These problems with the Athenian system further the principles of a republic, as a smaller group of elected officials can more easily come together, direct and be directed, and successfully manage a complex system