Is a monarchy good for democracy?

[primavera]

17. Good point

I think you're right that the key thing is separation of the differing roles played by heads of state versus leaders of government. That effect could be accomplished without recourse to a monarch, of course, simply by separating out the prime minister's and the president's offices. For instance, I thought Vaclav Havel made a hell of a president of the Czech Republic, even though he would have made a lousy prime minister. He had the ability to explore bigger, more philosophical questions and the popularity and moral authority to persuade people to do the right thing. On the flip side, Vaclav Klaus was able to be the shark in the bloody political waters and do what it took to get laws passed. I think both roles are crucial, but I'm tempted to suspect that they cannot be combined in a single office.