That and access to a lot of free stuff. Free frontier, free land, free lumber, no income tax, no OSHA.
One of the serious adverse affects of the industrial revolution (in all parts of the world, not just the U.S.) is that for the first time in history we had an enormous class of "free" people who relied entirely on employment by others for their livelihoods. As a result, we now have a country in which people who don't know even the most rudimentary principles of economics are casting votes for public officials based primarily on the state of the nation's economy.
Jefferson was right. Nevertheless, the horse is out of the barn.
As someone else posted on a similar thread, this is no different than asking the electorate to vote on the best method for treating pancreatic cancer.
Yes but those voters are here, nevertheless. The are not going away and neither are they Richard Burton the Orientalist.
As a business owner, to protect your own interests, you must either take away their franchise before they vote themselves a helping of your wallet, which you can only do by force (they still have guns) or by luring them with a Patriot Act style "security in exchange for freedom" trick - having "bought" some politicians (the currently preferred tactic), OR you can give up your citizenship and move to one of the many free countries in the world, OR you can buy the mob off - either via paying huge taxes, or by getting something in exchange for paying all that money - something like work.
You can pay Americans to work for you and to not kill you at the same time.
It's blackmail. If you want to stay, pay. Otherwise leave and take your chances with China's gerontocracy.
Whachyagonnado?
Your post is right on target -- and it actually goes a long way toward explaining why democratic rule is very "unnatural" system of government. It eventually gives way to a more totalitarian type of rule.