Historians describe to him as "the founder of Athenian democracy" because of his achievements. He belonged to the noble Alcmaeonid family. He was also credited for boosting the authority of Athens' people' assembly and decreasing the nobility's influence over Athenian politics. These changes made way for the development of democratic practices that were absent under the old aristocratic system. As you can see, he is a hero in ancient Greek history. In fact, there is a statue of him in front of the National Museum in Athens. Even though he was from an upper-class family, he became one of the most important politicians of his time. He was elected president of the council (ἀγορὴ βουλευτήριον) at least six times, more than any other politician before or after him. And since he didn't hold any political position before becoming president, this shows how important he considered himself to be. Also, he invented the system of voting by groups of citizens called democritus (this will be discussed in greater detail below). This system would later on be used by other cities too, such as New York City. So even if you weren't able to vote directly for your mayor, you still have someone who is somewhat responsible for their office.