Good government never depends upon laws, but upon the personal qualities
of those who
govern. The machinery
of government is always subordinate to the will
of those who administer that machinery. The most important element of government, therefore, is the method of choosing leaders."
Children of Dune
(This last, by the way, is one of the reasons I won't be voting in November for someone who 'can't remember' being a bully back in high school.