Compare and Contrast Outline (Point by Point)
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Thesis: The Roman Empire and The United States have a large number of logistical differences, yet have surprising similarities in ideology.
- Type of Government
- The Roman Empire runs based on the autocratic leadership of an Emperor, advised by a Senate composed of many representatives of smaller territories (Wells, 1995).
- The United States is based on the leadership of a President, a Congress composed of representatives who create and pass legislation, and a Supreme Court that enforces the law (Zinn, Emery and Reeves, 2003).
- History
- The Roman Empire existed from the 1st century BC until 5th century AD, starting as a series of annexed provinces conquered through military conquest (Wells, 1995).
- The Roman Empire then lasted until the late 4th century and early 5th century, as other nations began to invade and successfully overcame Roman Emperor Romulus (Asimov, 1989).
- The United States began as a series of British colonies set up in the 16th-18th centuries, which eventually rebelled and formed their own sovereign nation following the War of Independence; it still lasts to this day (Zinn, Emery and Reeves, 2003).
- Imperialism
- Rome’s status as an empire necessitated its ability to take over other nations and place them under its rule; many nations and regions were conquered by the Romans and forced to adapt to Roman society (Wells, 1995)
- The United States has not done this as overtly, but has had many occupying forces in nations from Iraq to Vietnam (Zinn, Emery and Reeves, 2003).
- Military
- The Roman Empire had a formidable army for its time, and the empire was always fighting a war in the later years of its republic (Strauss, 2012).
- The United States also leads the world in military prowess, and also has been in a constant state of passive to active war since the early 20th century (Strauss, 2012).
- The Roman Empire had a hierarchical class system which favored nobles over peasants, and citizenship was conditional based on location or gender (Strauss, 2012).
- The United States holds few restrictions on natural citizenship, and enjoys a comparative freedom in all its social classes, but there are still tremendous wealth and status inequalities between rich and poor (Strauss, 2012).
- Conclusion
- Restate points
- The Roman Empire and United States share many things in common, including its social structure, imperialist history and military prowess; however, it differs slightly when it comes to its governmental structure and its history.
References
Asimov, I. (1989). Asimov's Chronology of the World. Harper Collins.
Wells, C.M. (1995). The Roman Empire. Harvard University Press, 1995.
Strauss, S. (2012). 8 striking parallels between the U.S. and the Roman Empire. Salon.com.
Retrieved from http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/8_striking_parallels_between_the_u_s_and_the_roman_empire/.
Zinn, H., Emery, K., & Reeves, E. (2003). A people’s history of the United States. The New
Press.
