"The continuation of authority has frequently proved the undoing of democratic governments. Repeated elections are essential to the system of popular governments, because there is nothing so dangerous as to suffer power to be vested for a long time in one citizen. The people become accustomed to obeying him, and he becomes accustomed to commanding, hence the origin of usurpation and tyranny"

This quote by Simon Bolivar speaks with the significance of routine elections in a democratic government. He argues that when authority is held for too long, individuals end up being familiar with following the leader, and the leader ends up being familiar with commanding. This can result in the leader becoming an autocrat, as they become too effective and start to abuse their authority. Bolivar is warning versus the risks of permitting someone to hold power for too long, as it can cause the undoing of a democratic government. He thinks that routine elections are necessary to the system of popular federal governments, as it avoids the leader from ending up being too effective and assists to make sure that individuals remain in control.