>> Torah is democratic.
this seems to be the preference as we see from Shmuel’s discussion with people who wanted a king, and his decision to appoint a weak shy kid looking for his donkey… to be more precise, Berachot 55a and other places seem to recommend an appointment system, akin to a limited republic, where a leader is appointed with agreement of the public. Also constitutional limitations imposed by Torah (Sefer Torah for a king), that was not always fully working (Agrippa weeping when reading that he is eligible to be a King, and people approving him). Overall, seems Torah allows for people to come up with our own solutions for leadership that may change with times as long as it makes us a better People. Cf. Shlomo and Rehovaam – they had the same position, and Rehovaam insisted in the same taxes (against recommendation of his father’s advisors!) and opposite results. So, it is not just about optimal tax rates, but about leadership