One example - the US Constitution draws from Ancient Greece and Rome, and is a response to the oppression of European monarchies.
Louis XIV: "I am the state."
US Constitution: "We the people...secure the Blessings of Liberty"
That's no cosmetic difference.
Sure, that was a big deal in 1776. But there's nothing exceptional about being a liberal democracy today, and there are plenty of countries that are more free than the US.