Final answer:
The Greek government emerged from city-states experimenting with various forms of governance, including democracy. Due to the Great Recession, Greece was forced to implement austerity measures, leading to widespread protests against wage cuts and tax increases. These measures highlight Greece's different approach to economic crises compared to countries like the USA.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Government of Greece
Following the collapse of Mycenaean kingdoms around 1100 BCE, a variety of innovative consensual governments emerged in Iron Age Greece. These city-states, known as poleis, experimented with multiple forms of governance, including tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. The Athenians, notably, developed a democracy where free adult males could vote on laws and taxes, differing from the monarchies of the ancient Near East.
The economic downturn from the Great Recession led to severe fiscal challenges for Greece, resulting in the necessity to adopt austerity measures. Increasing taxes and cutting wages were some of the actions taken by the Greek government, which led to massive protests across the nation as a reaction from the public.
Greek culture has historically centered around government, and Greece has taken immense pride in its democratic origins. However, due to external debts and economic conditions, the Greek government has had to enforce stringent financial policies, contrasting sharply with the actions taken by other states, such as the United States, which had more flexibility in addressing the financial crisis of 2008.