> Monarchies, oligarchies, and other forms of authoritarian rule have been far more common modes of human governance. Maybe the statement would read better as:

> Monarchies, oligarchies, and other forms of authoritarian rule have been far more common modes of human governance. Maybe the statement would read better as: > Monarchies, oligarchies, and other forms of authoritarian rule have been far more effective modes of human governance. You can't deny the monarchies/democracies of Europe and the oligarchies of Russia/USA have kept a relative peace for developed countries in the last 70 years.