Back when monarchy was en vogue, most people favored an ironclad, hereditary succession. This prevented “a periodic invitation to anarchy,” as historians Will and Ariel Durant put it.*
Presidential elections in the United States seem to have disproved this hypothesis. Even in the most hotly contested elections, anarchy has not ensued. Just low approval ratings in polls.
Does this mean that people are more docile these days?
Hear me out. Recall the assaults on the Bill of Rights in recent years. The PATRIOT Act. The War on Drugs. The War on Terror. McCain-Feingold. Eminent domain abuse. The TSA. The list goes on.
What popular uprisings have sprung up to protest these intrusions on our rights? The Ron Paul R3VOLution?
Oh, bother.
(* Will and Ariel Durant, The Age of Reason Begins, p. 627)
Inertia Wins! 