> When you have observed a colossal material improvement in your life, and you have hope for the future, you can overlook a lot of problems with governance.

It has been long believed to work the other way: Poor people don't have the education or resources to deal with governmance; they are trying to survive, working three jobs (if they can get them), etc. When the middle class expands is typically when democracy blooms.

Democracy doesn't bloom when the middle class expands. Democracy is just one possible outcome of political upheaval - and political upheaval happens when the middle class feels that their situation is hopeless.

Russia's 'middle class' expanded massively since the economic disaster of the 90s, but I would not describe it as being more democratic today than it was in 1995.

A rising middle class isn't why communism fell apart in the 80s, either. It fell apart because the country lost any faith that the system will bring future prosperity.

I didn't say that it happened automatically.