Page "Athenian democracy" Paragraph 35

The degree of participation among citizens varied greatly, along a spectrum from doing virtually nothing towards something like a full-time committent.

But for even the most active citizen the formal basis of his political activity was the invitation issued to everyone ( every qualified free male Athenian citizen ) by the phrase " whoever wishes ".

There are then three functions: the officeholders organized and saw to the complex protocols ; Ho boulomenos was the initiator and the proposer of content ; and finally the people, massed in assembly or court or convened as lawmakers, made the decisions, either yes or no, or choosing between alternatives.