Athenian democracy could not succeed in America for these two reasons. First, the size of the population. Athenian democracy requires and encourages political participation in a central congress, which is effective among the smallest number of people present in Athens. In the United States, the number of eligible voters per district is significantly higher, which would strain the decision-making process and the efficiency of the system. Large numbers of people would be difficult to coordinate and direct toward a decision. Athenian democracy also relies on bringing people together, a formidable task for a large country. The population of the United States spans several miles, thousands of times larger than the city-state of Athens. Organizing public transport would be a statistical nightmare and productivity would come to a halt. These problems with the Athenian system promote the principles of a republic, in that a small group of elected officials can more easily come together, lead and be led, and successfully manage a complex system.