Question

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.

- Alexander Tytler
What does this mean? Does the American form of government, as currently constructed, apply? If so, where are we in the progression from bondage to dependence?"

Answer 1

The quote by Alexander Tytler suggests democracy is impermanent, claiming it progresses through a cycle from bondage to dependence due to fiscal irresponsibility. The American government may be seen at varying stages of this cycle. Democracy is acknowledged to have flaws, but no better government form has been found.

Step-by-step explanation:

The quote attributed to Alexander Tytler suggests that a democracy's lifespan is limited because voters may eventually seek to benefit personally from public funds, resulting in fiscal irresponsibility and eventual collapse into dictatorship. This cyclic progression from bondage to dependence describes civilizations advancing through stages of faith, courage, liberty, abundance, selfishness, apathy, and back to dependence and bondage. Whether the American form of government fits this pattern is subject to interpretation. Depending on one's perspective, one could argue that America might be in the stages ranging from liberty to apathy or from apathy to dependence, given recent societal trends towards increased entitlements and political polarization.

However, thinkers like Churchill and Tocqueville recognized flaws in democracy, such as the risk of tyranny of the majority, but did not suggest abandoning it, as no other form of government has proven superior. Democracies need to navigate between the excesses of the ruling class and the populist disregard for authority, aiming for a just and wise government that retains the peoples' confidence. Despite its problems, democracy allows for equal participation and mitigates the risk of oppression by a select few.