The funny thing is that America never really was the greatest democracy in the world. It was one of the few at one point, for sure, and one of the better for most of the world's recent history. But it still disenfranchised its black citizens for decades, even after the 15th amendment in 1870, it didn't give all women the vote until 1919*, and it took until 1957 to remove the last state law which barred Native Americans from voting!
But Americans have been told they're the greatest democracy in the world so often that many just take the idea for granted when I'd say that (for example) Scotland, even with its many flaws and its parochial Labour politicians, is better at representing all its people.
At the very least we don't have nakedly partisan electoral officials. Or nakedly partisan companies manufacturing our voting machines. Hey, who'd have thought a lot of old ladies with chewed pencil stubs would represent a better system of electing public offials?
* it was up to the individual states to grant suffrage before that and naturally not all did
no subject
But Americans have been told they're the greatest democracy in the world so often that many just take the idea for granted when I'd say that (for example) Scotland, even with its many flaws and its parochial Labour politicians, is better at representing all its people.
At the very least we don't have nakedly partisan electoral officials. Or nakedly partisan companies manufacturing our voting machines. Hey, who'd have thought a lot of old ladies with chewed pencil stubs would represent a better system of electing public offials?
* it was up to the individual states to grant suffrage before that and naturally not all did