[fyfy18]

> could have worked better if there wasn't, say, the coal minister standing in the way of moving resources away from coal to a better use of capital

That sounds like it could be applied to any Western society today as well. Throughout history, have there been any alternative democratic systems where politicians are less 'powerful'?

[asdfman123]

The power is more decentralized, though. Certain elites in say US democracy do want to slow down change for their own benefit, and sometimes they are moderately successful, but they don't have as much power. They certainly don't have the whole power of the state behind them.