This is an example of ostracism. I think the comment at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracism#Fall_into_disuse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracism#Fall_into

This is an example of ostracism. I think the comment at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracism#Fall_into_disuse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostracism#Fall_into_disuse is interesting and relevant: > The threat to the democratic system in the late 5th century came not from tyranny but from oligarchic coups, threats of which became prominent after two brief seizures of power, in 411 by "the Four Hundred" and in 404 BC by "the Thirty", which were not dependent on single powerful individuals. Ostracism was not an effective defence against the oligarchic threat and it was not so used. "The police" constitute a relatively large group, so the ostracism you saw against one person might not be so effective.