Do Americans really think there the greatest democracy ever?

Question

I read an answer which highlighted America as the greatest democracy in the world. I was wondering if this is a view many Americans or anyone else for that matter shares.
After all American is only a two party state compared to many European countries which employ proportional representation or have elections open to any party.
It took America a couple of decades longer than Britain and had to fight a civil war before they abolished slavery.
Theres never been a female president. America is still very much classist, the gap between the rich and poor is immense.
It is much harder to migrate, for what ever reason, to the US than many European countries.
Do Americans really believe that there the greatest democracy ever?

Answer 1

A lot of Americans think that their everything is best. It's sad but true and I'm ashamed.

Answer 2

First point - there is no such governmental entity as "America". America can refer to the two major continents in the Western Hemisphere. The country you are probably referring to is the United States of America - but just remember that 95% of the human beings in the Western Hemisphere are "Americans". Referring to citizens of the USA as Americans, when that is valid for our immediate neighbors the Canadians and the Mexicans is very insensitive. Our neighbors to the north, the Canadians often just think of us like "Cousin Jube", the relative you DO NOT want to introduce your friends to, while our immediate neighbors to the south, the Mexicans, seem to regularly feel insulted by our insensitivity. And that is the way most of our other southern neighbors, all also "Americans" seem to feel about it, if you can make a generalization.
NOW, back to your question, with the assumption you really are asking about the USA - IMO, the folks in the USA lucked out some 230 years ago with the folks that founded the USA. They wrote up a document that was not only about freedom, but also incorporated continuous self-improvement into the document. Is it perfect? Of course not! Has it been improving ever since? YES IT HAS! 150+ years ago, half the then country could own slaves! less than 100 years ago, women couldn't vote! 50 years ago, many prejudices were still being inflicted overtly on people based on their race, creed, sex, faith, and any other thing that might cause someone to make invalid generalizations about them! Does this still happen? Of course it does! BUT, the bigots of today have to be sneaky about it, or get in legal trouble, and their children will not get the intense socialization they did, and THEIR children won't even understand what the problem was! Don't forget, there has been a major party female vice-presidential candidate, and there are more millionaires in the USA now than ever before. Due to the events of September 11, 2001, the US government has become more concerned with illegal aliens in the USA, like those that took over the planes and crashed them. In the process of cracking down, they found that they were ringing other bells, specifically, drug smuggling reductions occurring, and the implied problems of illegal immigrants taking jobs, committing crimes, protesting US policies (would you like someone to come into your house uninvited, and criticize your house and cleanliness?), so it has become a hot button to politicians, law enforcement, and security forces. I'd like to state here that there should be no problem with immigration, the USA became great through immigration, the bad word is "illegal". If the immigration laws are not right, let's go back up top - the Constitution provides a route for improvement! Campaign to change the law! I have traveled fairly extensively over the world, and I can say based on personal experience that there is no country that provides greater freedom and representation than the USA.

Answer 3

Ha!! Much harder to migraet!!! say that to the Mexican!

America was one of the first modern democracies, and is one of few that had influenced other young democracies around the world. We are classist because we are opern to free market. Plus, we are much more of a democracy than European countries because of this. Europe has a democratic system, but also adds sort of a soccialist systenm to that as well. They have things like government provided healthcare and other government controlled programs, much unlike the US which is totally open to businesses controlling these things.

Answer 4

Candidates for a 'greater' democracy?
Certainly, America is a world power, and a democracy. And arguably the greatest world power that is a genuine democracy - rather than a reforming or quasi-reformed communist state, for intance. (Also argueably the mightiest superpower, for the moment).


I don't really think it's easy to judge one democracy as better than another, as a democracy, though - each would, be shaped by the needs and ideals of it's people, so would hopefully, but 'best' for them.

Answer 5

I think we send out that vibe that were the greatest REPUBLIC but we have our problems. Our president is a idiot and our youth are growing up to be rude little jerks and thugs. I feel bad for our elderly and our veterans of war. our health care system sucks. yeah it's hard on the poor but we also have a lot of advantages in the USA and the most important thing freedom. And we make it hard to come in the USA because no one ever wants to leave! Europe ain't all that great either. America is still a young country and we're just trying to pursue happiness.

Answer 6

N O, because the United States of America IS NOT a democracy, but a REPUBLIC form of
Representative Government!!!!!!!!!! That is one
reason that the USA is the greatest country in the
world, that is another reason that people are dying
to get to this country.

Answer 7

Wow, this feels like troll communicate. A Socialist does no longer be talking like this, and comprehend that Obama isn't approximately certainly one of those communicate. i think of Capitalism has been abused and human beings are suffering by using fact of it. i do no longer think of Democracy is dying, and it is going to likely be more suitable by ability of making votes more advantageous with the human beings, no longer in basic terms who 10-15% of electorate who frequently take place on election day of the finished inhabitants. Obama is extra like a reasonable. i does no longer call him liberal. he's against gay marriage - c'mon... attempt to hearth up data next time.

Answer 8

We have hot and cold running water all year around, most countries come to us for hand outs, no major wars here since the Civil War, most of Africa and the Middle East still use slavery. Most countries are the size of one of our states, so we limit the parties to the 4 most popular, not 2. We help our poor, instead of asking others to do it for us. We make it hard to become a citizen so that people know and understand our history, b/c we are tired of people coming here just to go on welfare, and never get off.

Answer 9

First of all, we're NOT a democracy. We're a Federal Republic. And our main claim is that we have in the past had the most personal freedom of anyone in any country. Of course, that was before the US went bankrupt shortly after the Civil War, and put its citizens into receivership. Today we are in fact a wholly owned corporation, and our citizens are little more than economic slaves of the World Banking System.

Answer 10

I'm an American. i don't think we're the greatest democracy ever. We arn't even a democracy. We're a Constitutional Republic with democratically elected officials. Big difference. For the better on our end.

If you want to lump us into democracies though, yes we are the best of all time. Look at our standard of living. Look at our power in the world. Have we made mistakes? Yes. Will we make more? Yes. Has every nation in history made mistakes? Yes. Our government is the least of all evils. Be honest with yourself, if given the choice based solely on standard of living, ignoring emotional ties to home and loyalty to current nationality - the majority of people alive or who have ever lived who would rather live 20th-21st century USA than anyother place, any other time in the history of the world. I offer for proof our unprecedented number of immigrants, legal and illegal. We have over 10 million people in our country who would rather live as criminals, most likey well below our povery line in the USA, than in thier home country.

God bless America, the greatest nation ever.

Answer 11

yes we are ...

"It took America a couple of decades longer than Britain and had to fight a civil war before they abolished slavery. "

Britian was around for how many hundreds of years before the US??? and we were only a couple of decades behind huih?

As for migration...If you have something to offer us here then you should be able to come aboard. If you are a terrorist looking to bomb something you cant..whats wrong with this approach?