Thus it is manifest that the best political community is formed by citizens of the middle class, and that those states are likely to be well-administered in which the middle class is large, and stronger if possible than both the other classes, or at any rate than either singly; for the addition of the middle class turns the scale, and prevents either of the extremes from being dominant
middle class turns the scale, and prevents either of the extremes from being dominant. . . Great then is the good fortune of a state in which the citizens have a moderate and sufficient property; for where some possess much, and the others nothing, there may arise an extreme democracy, or a pure oligarchy; or a tyranny may grow out of either extreme- either out of the most rampant democracy, or out of an oligarchy; but it is not so likely to arise out of the middle constitutions and those akin to them.
[When] the middle class is seldom numerous in them [government], and whichever party, whether the rich or the common people, transgresses the mean and predominates, draws the constitution its own way, “the middle class is seldom numerous … and whichever party, whether the rich or the common people, transgresses the mean and predominates, draws the constitution its own way” and thus arises either oligarchy or democracy.
[Additionally] the poor and the rich quarrel with one another, and whichever side gets the better, instead of establishing a just or popular government, regards political supremacy as the prize of victory, and the one party sets up a democracy and the other an oligarchy.
[Hence] For that which is nearest to the best must of necessity be better, and that which is furthest from it worse, if we are judging absolutely and not relatively to given conditions: I say ‘relatively to given conditions,’ since a particular government may be preferable, but another form may be better for some people. [2.2 Aristotle, Politics]
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Since all societies aim at some good and the polis is the most encompassing form of society, Aristotle argues, the polis aims at the highest good of all: eudaimonia (flourishing, happiness, the term referred to in the US Constitution’s preamble, “the pursuit of happiness”) (Pol. I.1.1252a1-7). In order to attain eudaimonia for the polis and all of its citizens, the specifically political good must be aimed at: "[T]he political good is justice, and justice is the common benefit" (Pol. III.12.1282b16-17). It is no small matter, then, what form the polis takes, for it will be crucial in allowing individuals to live a good life.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created [creativity is the core of any system] equal, that they are endowed by their Creator [however recognized—separation of religious organizations and state power] with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among [persons], deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety [need further regulations of weapons, due to the current demise of American society] and Happiness [this is much more than ‘men
