[hkt]

History, largely.

Robust democracies are the best defenders of people's rights over time. They're the best self righting mechanism that is available for a nation-state when its economy, civil liberties, and living standards get out of whack. It is also the only way to reconcile a society with large numbers of powerful competing interest groups. It is certainly not perfect but it is, as the old saying goes, better than anything else.

[mango7283]

That seems to be more a function of a robust Constitution and institutions than democracy...

[hkt]

The UK, where I am from, has no constitution in the sense you might understand it. We do really quite well, though.

[mango7283]

The UK is the archetypal constitutional monarchy though! The UK may have no Constitution as such but it arguably has strong institutions and laws...