Direct democracy succeeded in Athens because

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks why direct democracy worked in ancient Athens. In direct democracy, citizens take part in decision-making personally instead of electing representatives.

Step 2: The concept Direct democracy needs citizens to gather in one place (in Athens, the Ecclesia, or Assembly, which met on the Pnyx hill) to debate and vote on laws and policies. This is only practical when the number of people involved is small. Athens was a city-state, and only a limited number of people counted as citizens (adult free males, excluding women, slaves, and foreigners). This made it possible to assemble them and reach decisions.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Civil servants properly trained: Athens had no large trained bureaucracy. Many offices were filled by lot, so this is not the reason.
• B. Institution of government well established: Institutions were still evolving, and this is not the key factor.
• C. The population was small in size: Correct. A small citizen body could meet, debate, and vote directly.
• D. People united and purposeful: Athenians often had sharp political disputes, so unity was not the main reason.
• E. Use of professionals: Athenian democracy relied on amateur citizens, not professionals.

Step 4: Answer Direct democracy succeeded in Athens mainly because the population (of citizens) was small, so everyone could take part personally.

Exam tip: Whenever you see "direct democracy" in a question, think small population, small territory. This is why direct democracy is impractical in a large country like Nigeria today, and why we use representative democracy instead.