9 facts about democracy

1. The word democracy does not appear anywhere in the text of the Constitution.

2. The word democracy comes from the Greek word demos, which means people.

Slideshow: The Presidents of the United States

3. The first democratic forms of government are thought to have developed during the 6th century B.C.

4. There are two basic forms of democracy.  One is direct democracy, in which all eligible citizens have active participation in political decision making.

The other is called a representative democracy, in which voters remain the sovereign power but political power is exercised indirectly through elected representatives.

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5. The country of Bhutan is the world's youngest democracy.  The first democratic elections began in 2007; by 2011, all levels of government were democratically elected.

6. The top 25 richest countries in the world are democracies.

7. The Republic of India is the world's largest democracy; one-sixth of the global population lives there. %

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8. While you have to be 18 to vote in America, other countries' rules vary.

Sixteen is the minimum voting age in Brazil, Scotland, Switzerland, Argentina, Austria, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Cuba.

The highest minimum voting age in the world is 21.  Singapore, Kuwait and Lebanon have this rule in place. %

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9. Registered voters in the United States don't have to vote, but other countries make abstaining illegal.

Called compulsory voting, countries like Singapore, Peru and Brazil have it on the books.  Some countries have it but do not enforce it, like Costa Rica, Greece, and Mexico.

Cox Media Group