I came across some quotes on democracy and specifically democracy in America:
"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money."
-Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America)
"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."
-Alexis de Tocqueville
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
-Benjamin Franklin
In light of these quotes do you think a democracy (republic) is the ideal political system for America?
And... how do you combat the corruption and bribery that takes place in our political system?
Please don't turn this into a republican vs democrat thread. It has nothing to do with parties. Both parties are equally corrupt no doubt.