Comment by lo_zamoyski

It's not a question of illusion. Classical political philosophy makes it clear that leaders must be virtuous to be good leaders, and that the consequences of having leaders without virtue are bad. No system can counteract vice; people, after all, run the system. Probably the most famous example of how the state degenerates as virtue weakens is given in Plato's Republic, but this is seen consistently.

The American founders also emphasized the requirement that, for the American republic to function, it must have a virtuous people. The democratic process means that citizens now participate in the political process and thus shoulder some of the responsibility for how well a country is governed. The virtue of citizens becomes even more important.