Both rich and poor citizens attended the Assembly. This body met about 40 times a year to direct foreign policy, revise laws, and approve or condemn the conduct of public oficials. Assembly members reached all their decisions through public debate and vote. A smaller, important executive body, the Council of 500, was responsible for the day-to-day running of the state. This body—whose members were chosen annually in a lottery—proposed new laws and enforced the Assembly’s decisions, or decrees. The Council also administered the state’s finances, received foreign ambassadors, and oversaw the maintenance of the Athenian fleet.