Certainly something to be avoided. I think the Founders knew well that ochlocracies generally end badly for everyone. Rule of law (Constitution) is really all that stands between us and the pitchforks of the mob. That's why Obama and the 'Rats are so dangerous. For them, ideology comes ahead of the law (except for maybe Hillary, who seems to crave money more than anything, although she is a purebred ideologue as well).
People have to have a liking for a certain amount of principle to make a system like this go.
Otherwise we now have a lot of small interest groups squabbling for parochial advantages, and large parties vying for how much they can pander to the squabblers.
“According to a story in Herodotus, the nature of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy, and the advantages and inconveniences of each, were as well understood at the time of the neighing of the horse of Darius, as they are at this hour.”
John Adams: A DEFENCE OF THE CONSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
A mixed government- like that of the Founders: an executive of kingly nature, a Senate and Judiciary of oligarchal nature, and a House of democratic nature- was a new idea, advocated by that modern upstart Polybius...