That is why originally the U.S. was set up as a constitutional republic, but has slowly been perverted into a popular democracy where the immediate gratification of the electorate determines policy.
Noah Webster (1758-1843) is known as the Father of American Scholarship and Education as well as his dictionary and The American Spelling Book, which introduced Americanized spellings of words. However, Webster also had much to say about our country and government, including this excerpt from his book, Letters to a Young Gentleman Commencing His Education to which is subjoined a Brief History of the United States (New Haven: S. Converse, 1823, p. 19):
When a citizen gives his suffrage [vote] to a man of known immorality, he abuses his trust and he sacrifices not only his interest but that of his neighbor. He betrays the interest of his country. Nor is it of slight importance, that men elected to office should be able men, men of talents equal to their stations, men of mature age, experience, and judgement; men of firmness and impartiality....
"Whenever a man is known to seek promotion by intrigue, by temporizing, or by resorting to the haunts of vulgarity and vice for support, it may be inferred, with moral certainty, that he is not a man of real respectability, nor is he entitled to public confidence."
That is why originally the U.S. was set up as a constitutional republic, but has slowly been perverted into a popular democracy where the immediate gratification of the electorate determines policy.
Exactly
So IMO, the mindset of the electorate needs to be changed first. If the current mindset continues amongst the population we could end up going full Pinochet
I would also add, or we need to return to the concept of a Constitutional Republic in my options
Sadly, it looks like the Pinochet route is more likely at this point