“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse [generous amounts of money] 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, which is always followed by a dictatorship.”

1787 – Scottish historian, Sir Alexander Fraser Tytler):

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse [generous amounts of money] 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, which is always followed by a dictatorship.”