THE BALLOT AGAINST THE THRONE America’s midterm elections warn governments that electoral victories confer responsibility, not ownership, argues PAT ONUKWULI Democracy holds an enduring paradox: those who rise to power through the ballot sometimes govern America’s midterm elections warn governments that electoral victories confer responsibility, not ownership, argues PAT ONUKWULI Democracy holds an enduring paradox: those who rise to power through the ballot sometimes govern as if the ballot has surrendered its authority.
Yet political power is borrowed, not inherited; conditional, not absolute; accountable, not divine.
America’s November 2026 midterm elections remind us that even powerful leaders remain answerable to the people.
In Greek mythology, Icarus, intoxicated by flight, ignored his father’s warning and soared towards the sun.
The wax binding his wings melted, turning triumph into tragedy. His story captures an enduring political truth: power becomes dangerous when ambition outstrips restraint. Donald Trump’s presidency illustrates this tension. Elected on promises of prosperity, national renewal and an end to foreign entanglements, he often governed with the instincts of a monarch rather than the restraint expected of a constitutional president.
MSEApp News is publishing an original rewrite of this tip for readers, based on reporting associated with THISDAY.