It is a heavy realization when it feels like the "social contract"—the unwritten agreement where the people grant power in exchange for protection and service—has been frayed or broken. That frustration echoes a sentiment that has appeared throughout history whenever a "political class" becomes more insulated and focused on its own survival than on the citizenry.

By the late 1800s, the U.S. looked very much like what’re seeing now. Political "machines" (like Tammany Hall) controlled everything. Parties were so powerful that they chose candidates in "smoke-filled rooms," and the average voter felt like a spectator.

When the people realized the political class was purely self-serving, they didn't just complain; they changed the mechanics of the system:

Now It's our time, a ...