In a true democracy you get to be in charge of you. You get to vote the way you want, choose the path you want, marry who you want, work for or at what you want. But there are few guarantees. Not everyone starts from the same place, but, physical or mental limitations aside, what you get is largely dependent on you and how hard you are willing to work. Guarantees are social constructs under the umbrella of that democracy. The type and extent of those guarantees determines the social “load” they apply. Balancing that load with the “economics” of that democracy should result from the decision making and behavior of the elected leaders over time. Looking back at the last 30 years of leadership here in the US shows that 18 of those years were lead by Liberals while 12 were lead by Conservatives. That 3 to 2 advantage is a reflections of where we are today and responsibility falls largely to the higher number.