WE ARE NOT A DEMOCRACY!
We were never meant to to be...thankfully.
Your point is?
"Again, pandering politicians and greedy citizens were all to willing to overlook those transgressions for their own benefit."
Yes and that is precisely why we have checks and balances.
The point?
Did you forget that you wrote that 'in a democracy'? You said that we were a democracy.
The checks and balances -- indeed, our government -- will only work as long as the people are willing to hold politicians to their sworn oath. The people have failed in their duty when they ask the government to take money from others to give in their name for charity as much as when others ask for causes that you don't agree with.
When the congresscritters know that you are willing to overlook their actions to do what you want, they know that you don't have a leg to stand on when you b*tch about it for other things.