A few years ago the Pocatello city council was preparing to increase taxes. A bunch of basement dwelling "voters" were agitating to vote for it. They had no skin in the game. I jumped in the middle of their silly agitating and pointed out that increased property taxes are going to go directly to increased rent. As a property owner, I would adjust immediately to cover the higher tax on the rental property. It seems the message got through. The agitation for the tax increase became opposition to the tax increase. It's amazing how having skin in the game changes attitudes.
Exactly, it’s all about consequences.
When Rome was a Republic, every landowner had to support the legions. They had to fight, be taxed, they had not just skin, but buttocks on the line.
After the Empire, other people did the fighting. People got rich, fat, lazy, and no longer had buttocks on the line. Finally, the foreign fighters came back to Rome.......
Responsible representative government starts with responsibility; No Taxation with Representation, and No Representation without Taxation.