# Norway Most, North Korea Least Democratic Country in the World.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-most-north-korea-least-democratic-country-in-the-world/717596>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 13, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-most-north-korea-least-democratic-country-in-the-world/717596 "2015-04-13T21:08:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-most-north-korea-least-democratic-country-in-the-world/717596/81 "2015-04-18T08:10:42Z")

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I assume you’ve focused on the definitional fact that constitutional monarchies are not “republics.” This is of minimal interest to most of us, but if you want to discuss it please start a new thread. _ **It certainly has no relevance whatsoever to OP or the Economist’s rankings he cites.** _

(FWIW, eight of the eleven highest-rated democracies are constitutional monarchies.)

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**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-most-north-korea-least-democratic-country-in-the-world/717596/82 "2015-04-18T09:41:37Z")

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To confuse matters more, some describe the Westminster system as being a ‘crowned republic’.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-most-north-korea-least-democratic-country-in-the-world/717596/83 "2015-04-18T14:46:14Z")

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> [@septimus](#):
>
> :smack: Try Googling “definition:democracy” and “definition:republic” and learn that the words **are almost _synonyms_**.

So are “gay” and “happy”, but tell that to Matthew Shepard.

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-most-north-korea-least-democratic-country-in-the-world/717596/84 "2015-04-18T16:49:27Z")

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> [@septimus](#):
>
> I assume you’ve focused on the definitional fact that constitutional monarchies are not “republics.” This is of minimal interest to most of us, but if you want to discuss it please start a new thread.

I was simply responding to _your_ suggestion that democracies and republics are synonymous.

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**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norway-most-north-korea-least-democratic-country-in-the-world/717596/85 "2015-04-18T18:02:26Z")

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> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> I was simply responding to _your_ suggestion that democracies and republics are synonymous.

😕 I wrote “_ **almost** _ synonymous”; and intended to contrast with another poster’s bafflingly absurd

> [@](#):
>
> “Republic” and “Democracy” are no more correlated than a car’s weight and colour.

… Do you prefer the latter to my “almost synonymous”? Whatever.

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