Let’s review a bit starting with ethics. We find that you can’t judge people by their success. It isn’t good to judge ourselves either. Real success has to do with how we deal with random events, wins and losses. Those who handle them well and move on to improve themselves and those around them have the greatest successes. As we govern ourselves well, we are more apt to reach the goal which is happiness.

The goal of a state is the happiness of its citizens. The concept of an ideal citizen should not be based on his ability to participate in the economy or own land. We are looking for someone who not only contributes his skills to the community but is also educated and informed so he can participate in politics and govern. The highest qualification should be good character. This will allow him to be considerate of the needs of both the individuals and the whole of the state whether he has opportunity to govern or not.

The best commanders are those who have learned well to obey. The best rulers are those who rise out of the ranks. A citizen who has lived under the law is the best candidate to make law. Those who don’t intend to go back into private living will tend to be despotic. Laws tend to be made to enrich a professional politician and give him a legacy. Rulers become elite and the republic becomes the governed against the government. Someone who intends to go and live under the laws they have made will be apt to look to the needs of the common man. Hard decisions are made that may not benefit the lawmaker. He will promulgate good character in the citizenry and the government.

We have gone over the three kinds of government in the past but everything with Aristotle builds from the simple to the complex so lets review the benefits and issues with the different forms. A monarchical  government is one where a single person makes the decisions. This is the most efficient form but also the one the most prone to tyranny. Everything depends on the character of one person. The aristocracy is one where a group of a few of the brightest rule. This is ideal at times except the group might become elitist and after a while a oligarchy may form where they secure their positions with cronies and lose touch with the populace. An elite ruling class can form that despises normal citizens who don’t agree with them. The last form of government is the one we have been discussing and that is a constitutional government that is formed democratically. This what is normally called a republic. Armed citizens are the ones that usually form this kind of government. They prefer to have written laws that benefit every citizen as the ruler the land rather than any particular person.

It’s interesting to see how the USA and other nations have elements of the three kinds of government built into their systems. There are also parties that form in every nation. We can observe today in the USA the major parties are Democrats and Republicans. A Democrat is one who trusts more in majority rule. They are willing to quickly change laws. But problems arise when the opinion of the majority doesn’t benefit the entire citizenry. A Republican is someone who trusts more in the rule of law. They don’t trust majority opinions as much since they might be based in hype. They are against ruling by passion. This view can be inflexible at times and will not respond to changing times as quickly.