The system originally set up in the United States and later innovated upon in the writings of Jefferson (one of its principle architects) was designed to mitigate the inability of the average person to know what is good or right through hierarchical selections of people.
O how marvelous are the works of the Lord, and how long doth he suffer with his people; yea, and how blind and impenetrable are the understandings of the children of men; for they will not seek wisdom, neither do they desire that she should rule over them! (Mosiah 8:20)
The system Jefferson later proposed is closer to the system set up by king Mosiah in the Book of Mormon than it is the system initially adopted by the United States. Unfortunately, very few read the Book of Mormon, and very few who do understand what it says. One example of this ignorance is that no one I know of has actually described the judge system there, even though it is written in a way to make this a not-too-difficult task.
As a result, even Mormons do not understand that the absolute majority always chooses evil, and it is for precisely this reason that majority votes will only choose good when the people voting are limited to those yielded by a hierarchical selection of the best among them. In the Book of Mormon system, judges were appointed for life or until they chose to retire (important), only the lowest judges were directly elected by the people, and each level of judges was elected from the prior level and by the votes of the prior level alone. The chief judge was the best person as judged by the best people. As stated there, the ideal system is monarchy, but its fatal flaw is the problem of selecting as king the most righteous among them. This is an even bigger problem for succession of the first king, as a man's oldest son will often not be the most righteous among them, and the king himself will not likely know everyone well enough to choose from among them. The Mosiah system solves this problem as best as can be done by the people themselves.
Unfortunately, the governments of the world--the USA notwithstanding--bear no resemblance to what was instituted by the founding fathers, let alone Jefferson's innovation or Mosiah's system. Neither does any church. Neither does any other institution, except perhaps some very rare and unusual companies or families.
As a result, we have government, churches, companies, universities, families, etc. "by the retarded, for the retarded, and of the retarded."
The few sensible people in this world will not be able to set in order the governments of the world, because it requires serious numbers of people with serious commit to unseat an iniquitous king. However, the few disciples of Christ can and should set in order God's house by diligently seeking honest, good, and wise men: one who knows more about God than you do and lives all that he knows.
And also trust no one to be your teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways and keeping his commandments. (Mosiah 23:14)
9 Nevertheless, when the wicked rule the people mourn.
10 Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil. (D&C 98)
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Retarded - less progressed, developed, or accomplished than one ought to be given their capacity. Imagine what it would be like to live up to your ideal self, or to meet someone who does.