Russia and Iran are two examples of what happens when a nation's population becomes so foolish as to vote away their own rights (tyrannical Communism/fundamentalist Islamism). Both allowed government take-over by an oligarchy (Ruling Class) bent not on administrating but instead on radically supplanting the will of the People with their own.
Italy just did a 180-degree about-face on socialist give-aways For years they went ape-shit on entitlement spending until virtually every special interest group in the nation got massive tax-money from the gummint. The resulting economic disaster finally drove the voters to hit the brakes on profligate overspending and elect conservatives to put things back on a rational path.
The Italians have figured it out. Have we !?!