Remember, the Islamist view of democracy is: one man, one vote, one election, and that's it.
As government grows, its increased power to grant favors or inflict pain attracts more people who would abuse the system.
The current scandals in Washington should remind us just how far we have strayed from the vision of limited government the Founders handed down to us. So long as government grows more powerful, money will find its way to Washington to attempt to influence it.