Confucianism and Democracy

I found it interesting that a classmate decided to discuss how democracy could actually happen in China while also going a step further saying that Confucianism supports a democratic society. This is an idea that I had never considered, but after listening to his reasoning, I found it very possible. Although Confucianism does practice putting the community before one's self, it does require people to put individuals before them, which is important in a democratic government, which is a downfall of the American government. Politic ans have a reputation of putting self interest before the constituents, leading to shortcomings of the American government.