There is nothing magical about any form of government. If a leader of a monarchy or a dictatorship is benevolent, intelligent, and moral, the society created can serve its people well. And, of course, if the leader is the opposite, the result is the opposite. Similarly, a democracy can produce a good life or a difficult one for its people . The great difference between a democracy and other forms of government is that in a democracy, the people of the society do not get a free ride. They are ultimately in charge of things, and in a very real sense, the life they get is the one they allow to be created. In this program, Dr. Porter discusses the two-edged sword of the democracy of today’s America, and in particular, discusses the weaknesses of our government in the context of the weaknesses of our people.