What effect has ancient Greece had on modern (American and European) politics?

The major impact that ancient Greece has had on politics
in modern day Europe and America comes from the political set up of the city-state of
Athens.  Athens was the first real democracy in the history of the world.  Because of
this, and because of the fact that Greek was one of the languages of classical learning,
the Greek ideal of democracy was passed down to political thinkers in Europe and then in
what became the United States.  The Athenian democracy was not, of course, anything like
modern Western democracies.  It was more of a direct democracy and lacked the personal
freedoms the West now affords all members of a society.  Even so, the Athenian democracy
inspired the people who made Western nations into the democracies that they now
are.