The Ancient Athenians and Democracy

After the Athenians had driven out the tyrant Hippias in 510 B.C., they tried to work out methods to prevent the establishment of another tyranny. Once a year they set up an opportunity for a vote that was aimed not at electing someone, but at exiling someone. Each Athenian could write down the name of the politician he felt was growing too dangerously powerful for the good of the state. If a total of 6000 votes were cast and one man received a majority, he was forced to remain away from Athens for ten years. It was not a disgraceful exile: his property was not confiscated, his family was not mistreated, and, when the decade was up, he was welcomed back. He understood that he had been sent away to be kept from the temptation of trying to upset the democracy.

Source: Isaac Asimov's Book of Facts (1991) by Isaac Asimov.

Interesting way to keep power in check. Although, the Left would call the Athenians mean and cruel and how dare they do that.