[Wang Son-taek] America 250: Liberal democracy 250

Last week marked the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Although Americans celebrate it as the birth of their nation, the anniversary deserves recognition far beyond the United States because it marks the emergence of the modern democratic republic as a practical model of government.

The principles underlying liberal democracy had existed long before 1776.

Ancient Athens experimented with democracy, Ancient Rome contributed republican traditions, and Enlightenment thinkers such as John