According to a recent poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, "about two-thirds of U.S. adults now say a democratically elected government is highly important to the U.S.'s identity as a nation, down from 80% in 2021." Democracy is seen as the cornerstone of personal liberty for the average person. However, is it set to be a thing of the past? In his book The Republic Plato defined 5 stages of societal rule. Starting with Aristocracy, Plato suggested that the rule of society progressed through various stages until it ends in Tyranny. Defining Aristocracy according to the original definition of the word (the best person to rule, rules), Plato identified this type of rule as being associated with wisdom, virtue and goodness. However, as time continues, and these rulers receive a lot of honour and praise, the quality that is desired in leaders is someone who is honoured and praised not necessarily someone who is wise and good. Thus the next phase of rule, Timocracy, takes over. In this type of leadership those who are have honour and power due to military might and conquest become predominant. As these types of leaders remain in power, their rule is typified by conquest and increasing wealth. In due course, the type of rule that is most commonly found is by those who are wealthy. This is Oligarchical rule. In this phase of rule, the rich are the only ones who truly have liberty. As liberty becomes more sought after, the general population (the poorer classes) long to have liberty and this gives way to democracy. But as democracy continues,

  • Every opinion is treated as equally valid.
  • Authority figures lose respect.
  • Teachers fear students.
  • Parents become afraid to discipline children.
  • Laws and traditions are increasingly disregarded.
  • Citizens demand ever-greater personal freedom and society becomes chaos.

And it is in this environment, Plato suggests, that Tyranny is born. In societies search to have order come out of the chaos, they become open to control and a despotic rule. Is this what this Associated Press poll is reflecting? Under such a rule we can expect that religious liberty and liberty of conscience will be squashed for anyone who refuses to comply with the mandated policies against that go against their conscience.