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Full Idea
Plato judged that when the constitution is decent, democracy is the worst of them, but when they are bad it is the best.
Gist of Idea
Democracy is the worst of good constitutions, but the best of bad constitutions
Source
report of Plato (The Statesman [c.356 BCE], 302e) by Aristotle - Politics 1289b07
Book Ref
Aristotle: 'Politics', ed/tr. Reeve,C.D.C. [Hackett 2017], p.85
A Reaction
Aristotle denies that a good oligarchy is superior. What of technocracy? The challenge is to set up institutions which ensure the health of the democracy. The big modern problem is populists who lie.