This concept was first known to be an issue by Alexander Fraser Tytler, a 1700's to 1800's Scottish historian: “Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse out of the public treasure." That was then misattributed to Benjamin Franklin, but he never seemed to actually say in the records. This issue is considered a Molochian twisted incentive system under game theory as a negative sum game. (ref
https://www.lesswrong.com/w/moloch)
True or false: Positive societal outcomes can come from an unethical foundation?
Where I disagree with Tytler is that democracy has to have any voting at all to have such a twisted incentive structure. I specifically advocate for a Cooperative Republic because there is zero ability to simply plow over minorities and ignore them with voting systems. Every emancipated person chooses anyone of their choice to represent them. So, everyone is always represented. As it stands today, most people go unrepresented entirely because if someone votes for a candidate, and their vote fails, then they contradict 100% of their wishes on all issues.
One of the biggest problems with modern society by a very wide margin is the attitude people have that the government should lie, cheat, steal, and kill, but just re-name what they are doing to other things so it sounds less bad. Lying becomes "national security. Cheating becomes "subsidies", stealing becomes "taxes", and killing becomes "war". All of these things should all result in someone going to prison, not being celebrated as a leader or authority.