Aristotle on Demagogues and Democracy

From Aristotle on Politics. Surprisingly still modern and applicable today.

A fifth form of democracy, in other respects the same, is that in which, not the law, but the multitude have the supreme power, and supersede the law by their decrees. This is the state of affairs brought about by the demagogues.

For in democracies which are subject to the law the best citizens hold the first place, and there are no demagogues; but where the laws are not supreme, there demagogues spring up. For the people become a monarch, and is many in one; and the many have the power in their hands, not as individuals, but collectively. Homer says that “it is not good to have a rule of many”, but whether he means this corporate rule, or the rule of many individuals, is uncertain.