Yes they did, they didn't have enough power to rule over the land! i hope this helped!
When comparing and contrasting an ancient government with the current US government I would recommend looking at the government of Ancient Athens, since Athens had a democracy like the US, except theirs was a "direct democracy," instead of a "representative" democracy--which would make this a good comparison point.
The factor of freedom and opportunity is known as a pull factor.
i hope this helps.
push factors are things that make a person want to leave: like persecution.