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A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury.
Alexander Fraser Tytler
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Democracy is unsustainable if voters learn to exploit it for personal gain.

This quote suggests that a democracy is vulnerable to decline when the majority of its citizens begin to realize they can use their voting power to benefit themselves financially at the expense of the public treasury. It highlights the potential for self-interest to corrupt the integrity of democratic governance and warns of the need for responsible citizenship and awareness of the implications of one's choices in a democratic system.

Themes

DemocracyGovernmentVotersPublic TreasuryMajoritySelf-Interest

In practice

Example use cases

During a political debate, emphasizing the importance of responsible voting.

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