English Language · Reading Comprehension

Read the text and answer the question that follows: In modern democracies, a large majority in elections is celebrated as a clear mandate. Yet governing rarely unfolds as cleanly as campaign slogans suggest. Even strong governments face coalition partners, vocal oppositions, restless media, and vigilant courts. Each actor slows decisions but also tests them, ensuring that policies survive beyond the enthusiasm of a rally. Political history shows that when power ignores these frictions, laws may pass quickly but collapse just as fast, leaving institutions weaker than before. Money, too, complicates politics. Campaign finance demands disclosure, but parties often rely on opaque donations. Voters hear pledges of infrastructure, health, or subsidies, but they cannot always trace who funds the campaigns promising them. Regulators struggle to draw lines between legitimate lobbying and undue influence. This ambiguity fuels distrust: when citizens suspect that policies follow donors more than debates, consent becomes brittle. Durability in governance comes not from spectacular announcements but from routines that feel boring: budgets debated line by line, procurement rules posted publicly, and independent auditors allowed to probe without fear. Politicians may dislike these slow rituals, but they are the scaffolding that keeps consent from eroding. Legitimacy, after all, is not won once in a landslide but renewed daily by practices that appear transparent, inclusive, and consistent. What is the correct inference drawn from the passage?