We have evolved to a much more democratic society simply by letting most people vote.
Yes, as I said, many things have changed since the 18th century.
Society has evolved into a more democratic entity but government has clung to it's original goal of enriching the already wealthy on the backs of everyone else.
If you're filthy rich but still want to look like you believe in democracy, you spend a few bucks to get people to vote the way you want them to.
If you can trick people into believing that life is a zero-sum game, they will vote for the "winners" at their own expense, because a couple of hundred years of destructive conditioning have taught them to worship the winners.
