[m463]

I'm sort of amazed that democracies came into existence at all.

On the other hand, I guess the actions of kings were a catalyst. (crazy taxation, closing ports, quartering troops, etc)

[o11c]

It's not just "kings", but "distant kings" in most cases. The French Revolution being a notable counterexample.

[adolph]

I suspect the root of democracy’s success lies in Galton’s observation