Before democracy became a system of elections, it was an idea. An idea based on certain ideals. These ideals encourage responsible leadership and institutions that are transparent, accountable, and committed to the common good. Democracy is ultimately measured by the place they accord to the citizen. It has spent centuries perfecting the art of choosing those in power and has spent just as long trying to perfect the art of questioning them. Illustration by The Geostrata Acros

“Let a Prince set about the task of conquering and maintaining his state, his methods will always be judged honourable, and he will be universally praised” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince). Politicians are never as idealistic as they appear. One of the central ideas that Machiavelli discusses is that rulers must master the art of appearing virtuous without necessarily being bound by virtue itself. Politics has always been far from coherent with morality. Throughout history