Are Europeans too smug, condescending and secular...

[_Drifting]

Why do Americans (I'm generalising obviously) think Europe is a country?

[_subgenius]

American democracy is representative, not direct.

duh... (see above mention of less-educated fat people and whole topic of American Pluralism)

And for what it's worth I think there should be restrictions on the franchise: GED or equivalent and military service. Athenian democracy was not open to all citizens regardless of status and neither was American democracy for most of its history. To be clear I think allowing women, black people, and poor people to vote is a good thing but I also think that allowing anyone to impact the system of governance simply by virtue of having managed to continue breathing until 18 years of age is no way to run a nation. YMMV

and fortunately we don't run ours that way

[Guest]

...direct democracy...

American democracy is representative, not direct.

And for what it's worth I think there should be restrictions on the franchise: GED or equivalent and military service. Athenian democracy was not open to all citizens regardless of status and neither was American democracy for most of its history. To be clear I think allowing women, black people, and poor people to vote is a good thing but I also think that allowing anyone to impact the system of governance simply by virtue of having managed to continue breathing until 18 years of age is no way to run a nation. YMMV

Let's see if I can help settle this...

Representative democracy is a variety of democracy founded on the principle of elected people representing a group of people, as opposed to direct democracy.[1] For example, two countries which use representative democracy are the United Kingdom (a constitutional monarchy) and Germany (a federal republic).

Direct democracy (or pure democracy)[1] is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives.[2] Depending on the particular system in use, it might entail passing executive decisions, making laws, directly electing or dismissing officials and conducting trials. Two leading forms of direct democracy are participatory democracy and deliberative democracy.

Now which one is America?

[_subgenius]

Why do Americans (I'm generalising obviously) think Europe is a country?

its just easier to bulk them together, because (generally) they have the same attitudes, just cultural nuances.....and the whole European Union has the obvious political and economic implications that tends to lump it all together form that perspective, and the perspective of our discussion now (so its as much our generalization as it is Europe's)
Everyone realizes that UK, France, Austria, etc..have different styles of food and painters...but the attitudes are the same because we are the same obnoxious tourist whether we are in Spain or in China.

[_subgenius]

Let's see if I can help settle this...

Representative democracy is a variety of democracy founded on the principle of elected people representing a group of people, as opposed to direct democracy.[1] For example, two countries which use representative democracy are the United Kingdom (a constitutional monarchy) and Germany (a federal republic).

Direct democracy (or pure democracy)[1] is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives.[2] Depending on the particular system in use, it might entail passing executive decisions, making laws, directly electing or dismissing officials and conducting trials. Two leading forms of direct democracy are participatory democracy and deliberative democracy.

Now which one is America?

we are a unique one, to say the least.....
Federally more of a Constitutional Republic
Locally more of direct democracy seasoned with representative democracy.

many people do not understand that several united states actually compose The United States.

[_Drifting]

Why do Americans (I'm generalising obviously) think Europe is a country?

its just easier to bulk them together, because (generally) they have the same attitudes, just cultural nuances.....and the whole European Union has the obvious political and economic implications that tends to lump it all together form that perspective, and the perspective of our discussion now (so its as much our generalization as it is Europe's)
Everyone realizes that UK, France, Austria, etc..have different styles of food and painters...but the attitudes are the same because we are the same obnoxious tourist whether we are in Spain or in China.

Where to start...

[_Samantabhadra]

Where to start...

Maybe here?

its just easier to bulk them together, because (generally) they have the same attitudes, just cultural nuances..

Sub would you mind explaining a bit how a European would be out of place saying the exact same thing about "these united States"?

Also:

What about the system Bush employed? The one where you keep counting and recounting votes until the numbers add up to you winning...

Although as I recall it was Bush's challenger who had the (re)counting problem...

[_subgenius]

Sub would you mind explaining a bit how a European would be out of place saying the exact same thing about "these united States"?

i never said they would be...and my response was in kind to Drift's

Why do Americans (I'm generalising obviously) think Europe is a country?

(emphasis mine)

Also:

What about the system Bush employed? The one where you keep counting and recounting votes until the numbers add up to you winning...

Although as I recall it was Bush's challenger who had the (re)counting problem...

the system Bush employed? that comment seemed rather nonsensical...still not sure how it related to the discussion...nor why you bring it up here.
The key thing to remember is that its not about counting votes but rather which votes you count....as was the case with Bush (who did not win, nor had to win, the popular vote at all - on these United States the most votes does not mean you get elected, the most "representatives" does)