e different magistrates,
and they succeed to the offices of the community by proper divisions of
tribes, wards, and other very small proportions, till every one in his
turn goes through them: nor does the whole community ever meet together,
without it is when new laws are enacted, or some national affair is
debated, or to hear what the magistrates have to propose to them.
Another method is for the people to meet in a collective body, but
only for the purpose of holding the comitia, making laws, determining
concerning war or peace, and inquiring into the conduct of their
magistrates, while the remaining part of the public business is
conducted by the magistrates, who have their separate departments, and
are chosen out of the whole community either by vote or ballot. Another
method is for the people in general to meet for the choice of the
magistrates, and to examine into their conduct; and also to deliberate
concerning war and alliances, and to leave other things to the
magistrates, whoever happen to be chosen, whose particular employments
are such as necessarily require persons well skilled therein. A fourth
method is for every person to deliberate upon every subject in public
assembly, where the magistrates can determine nothing of themselves, and
have only the privilege of giving their opinions first; and this is the
method of the most pure democracy, which is analogous to the proceedings
in a dynastic oligarchy and a tyrannic monarchy.

These, then, are the methods in which public business is conducted in a
democracy. When the power is in the hands of part of the community
only, it is an oligarchy and this also admits of different customs; for
whenever the officers of the state are chosen out of those who have a
moderate fortune, and these from that circumstance are many, and
when they depart not from that line which the law has laid down, but
carefully follow it, and when all within the census are eligible,
certainly it is then an oligarchy, but founded on true principles of
government [1298b] from its moderation. When the people in general do
not partake of the deliberative power, but certain persons chosen for
that purpose, who govern according to law; this also, like the first,
is an oligarchy. When those who have the deliberative power elect each
other, and the son succeeds to the father, and when they can supersede
the laws, such a government is of necessity a strict oligarchy. When
some persons determine on on