The iron law of oligarchy is a political theory, first developed by the German syndicalist sociologist Robert Michels in his 1911 book, Political Parties. It states that all forms of organization, regardless of how democratic or autocratic they may be at the start, will eventually and inevitably develop into oligarchies. The reasons for this are the technical indispensability of leadership, the tendency of the leaders to organize themselves and to consolidate their interests; the gratitude of the led towards the leaders, and the general immobility and passivity of the masses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Law_of_Oligarchy


Biblical or not, there are suggestions that it's simply inevitable, almost a natural progression especially if the masses don't keep check on their governments or made to sleep by them so they can't.