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 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. His confrontational politics, expansive executive authority and uncompromising nationalism tested America’s democratic institutions. The contradictions became particularly striking over Iran. Having promised to avoid new wars, Trump presided over a military confrontation with profound geopolitical consequences. His administration simultaneously pursued exceptionally aggressive immigration enforcement, drawing criticism over alleged abuses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel and concerns about fundamental rights. A nation built substantially by immigrants appeared increasingly hostile to immigration. The land of opportunity risked becoming a landscape of exclusion. Equally troubling was many Republican legislators’ reluctance to challenge presidential excesses. Where constitutional courage was required, political calculation prevailed; where independent judgement was expected, partisan loyalty dominated. Congress, constitutionally empowered to restrain executive overreach, too often appeared content to accommodate it. Then came 3rd November. Americans delivered an electoral rebuke, overturning Republican control of Congress. Although Trump was not on the ballot, his presidency was unmistakably on trial. Voters chose legislators and evaluated leadership, exercising their constitutional rights while questioning presidential conduct. The significance transcends partisan victory. It shows that democratic institutions retain corrective power when citizens refuse to surrender their judgement. Across the world, far-right nationalism and its equally divisive cousin, micro-nationalism, increasingly exploit economic anxiety, cultural insecurity and institutional distrust. From Europe to Africa, including Nigeria, political entrepreneurs turn legitimate grievances into convenient hostilities, portraying immigrants, minorities and competing ethnic communities as obstacles to national prosperity. Yet nationalism cannot replace food on the table, identity cannot replace income, and patriotic slogans cannot pay school fees. Beneath this political discontent lies a deeper economic contradiction. Decades of neoliberal policies, often championed by the political right, have prioritised deregulation, privatisation and market liberalisation. While they have generated wealth and innovation, their uneven distribution has often coincided with widening inequality, insecure employment and declining affordability. The wealthy celebrate rising asset values, while ordinary families confront escalating living costs. Economic statistics proclaim progress, yet household budgets tell another story. As a result, more people question whether democracy genuinely serves them. When elections repeatedly change governments without improving livelihoods, authoritarian promises become seductive. Citizens may surrender liberty in pursuit of security, only to discover they have secured neither. The French philosopher Joseph de Maistre is associated with the observation that nations get the governments they deserve. Scripture offers an older warning. In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites demanded a king despite Samuel’s warnings about royal excesses. Their longing for powerful leadership overshadowed the dangers of unaccountable authority. Yet democracy has an advantage ancient monarchy seldom offered: peaceful correction through the ballot. Trump’s subsequent suggestion that his immigration policies might have been excessively harsh illustrates the potential influence of electoral accountability. His shifting rhetoric on Iran likewise invites scrutiny. Whether these represent genuine reconsideration or political face-saving remains uncertain. Elsewhere, political currents are shifting, though unevenly. Lula da Silva’s narrow electoral return in Brazil demonstrated the continuing appeal of progressive alternatives, while shifting political fortunes across Europe suggest that right-wing populism is neither irresistible nor irreversible. Nevertheless, electoral dissatisfaction should not be automatically mistaken for a universal return to the political centre. For Nigeria, the lessons are particularly urgent. Democracy cannot endure indefinitely on ethnic mobilisation, religious sentiment, elite bargaining and electoral arithmetic while citizens face deepening economic hardship. Governance must be judged not merely by infrastructure commissioned or economic indicators celebrated, but by whether ordinary people can afford food, housing, healthcare and education. Political legitimacy must translate into tangible improvements in human welfare. America’s midterm elections therefore warn governments everywhere: electoral victories confer responsibility, not ownership; public mandates demand service, not submission. Leaders who confuse temporary authority with permanent entitlement risk finding that the electorate has a longer memory than political power anticipates. Ultimately, democracy must return to its fundamental purpose: government of the people, by the people, and, above all, for the people. The ballot remains mightier than the throne whenever citizens remember that sovereignty belongs to them. Dr. Onukwuli is a legal scholar and public affairs analyst, patonukwuli2003@yahoo.co.uk