Political Science

The Classical Greeks identified three types of polities, each subject to degeneration over time.

Monarchy ("rule of the one") would transform into Despotism and Absolutism.

Aristocracy ("rule of the few") became Oligarchy.

Democracy ("rule of the many") transitioning, via Demagoguery, to Tyranny and then Monarchy, starting the cycle all over again.

Having a realistic assessment of human nature, Greeks saw each form with its advantages and disadvantages.  And human nature has not changed in the last twenty four centuries.

As to Democracy in that era, one is reminded of the last decade of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), in which the Athenian mob in a series of impulsive, frantic, and self-destructive acts exiled or condemned to death many of its best military commanders, weakening the state and leading to Sparta's victory.

Or, as the noted philosopher Tommy Lee Jones summed it up more recently:

The framers of the Constitution of the United States sought to author a document designed to remedy the weaknesses identified by the Greeks in an effort to create a stable and sustainable form of national government constrained in its powers and with the rights of minorities protected.

To do so they employed a variety of techniques - creating three branches of government; separation of powers; defined limits of authority for each branch; federalism; and a reservation of all powers not otherwise explicitly delegated to the national government, to the states and the people.

The going has been tough at times but the result is unique, a society not just based on racial, ethnic, or religious solidarity; a society that can, at its best, cooperate voluntarily as we often see in emergencies (see for instance the 9-11 Boatlift).  Maintaining what we have achieved requires constant vigilance and its continuation cannot be taken for granted.

A Constitution is only as good as the understanding and will of the people to sustain it.  It is possible for the words to remain the same, yet have them hollowed out of their meaning, as has already happened in some instances.  And it is also dangerous when new meanings threaten the unique aspects of our society.

Where on the spectrum of polities we head next depends on how well we can preserve what is left of the Constitution.