I was always taught in school that the United States was a Republic rather than a Democracy. Republics elect representatives. Democracies vote on issues by the population itself. President Reagan first started calling the US a Democracy and claimed it the world's oldest. I was working in Saudi Arabia at the time and the British started claiming that Britain was the oldest Democracy. I said the US was a Republic and the UK was a Parliamentary Monarchy. Iceland with its Althing is by record the world's oldest Democracy. It's government which is small operates much like a town meeting. 800 years it has existed. Often accredited to Greek City States. Democracy cannot really work across a diverse or large population. Though that could change with such as computer voting. But I am pretty tired of presidential claims of Democracy. We are not. As in the Pledge of Allegiance "... to the Republic for which it stands."
2007-10-17 13:05:12 · 9 answers · asked by genghis1947 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
The USA is a Republic.
2007-10-17 13:09:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The US is a democratic republic, not a pure democracy--you are correct.
A lot of this depends on how one defines democracy. Not everyone in the US had the right to vote since the country's inception. If we mean , 'Which country has ensured that all adult citizens regardless of sex, race, or ethnicity, may choose Representatives to exercise the powers of government longest?', then the answer is New Zealand. Universal adult suffrage was first established there in 1893.
But didn't the Greeks have the first democracy?
I've heard Iceland before, too? Their parliament, the Althing, is the oldest one still in use. It was formed in 930 by Vikings.
And The Native American people of the Six Nations, also known by the French term Iroquois and who know themselves as the Hau De-no Sau-nee (People of the Long Houses) claim to be the oldest living participatory democracy. Their homeland, country, nation or however you'd like to classify it , was in the region now known as New York State, between the Adirondack Mountains and Niagara Falls.
Hopefully someone with a poly-sci or history major can better answer the second part of your question!
2007-10-17 13:09:21 · answer #2 · answered by neni 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Greeks and Romans were the oldest. they set the ground work for all the different types of democracies that have followed including America and England. Whether it was pure democracy where everyone voted on everything or a Republic forn of representive democracy such as the United States and Britian have.
2007-10-18 07:23:00 · answer #3 · answered by JUAN FRAN$$$ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contrary to some of the above .. the USA of A is a democracy - the political meaning is not relevant .. democracy is government by the people for the people .. San Marino is the oldest democracy in the world and it is also Republic (founded in 301 A.D.)
2007-10-17 14:29:41 · answer #4 · answered by The old man 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The US is NOT a democracy but they run around the world trying to make other countries democracies. Go figure.
Democracy was invented in Greece. Therefor Greece is the oldest democracy. The UK and US are just being stupid as usual.
2007-10-17 13:16:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
India has the worlds oldest living democracy. The US is a democratic republic.
2007-10-17 13:12:19 · answer #6 · answered by J.T. 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Democracy was founded in ancient Greece,end of argument!
2007-10-17 23:27:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The oldest democracy is Greece, whom we take the term.
Demos- people, cracy- government.
2007-10-21 10:45:34 · answer #8 · answered by Wanda B 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
to much curreption to tell these days
2007-10-17 15:01:16 · answer #9 · answered by TheManWithaPlanNamedRy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋