Watts chronicles the ways the republic, with a population once devoted to national service and personal honor, was torn to shreds by growing wealth inequality, partisan gridlock, political violence and pandering politicians, and argues that the people of Rome chose to let their democracy die by not protecting their political institutions, eventually turning to the perceived stability of an emperor instead of facing the continued violence of an unstable and degraded republic.

I mean, yeah, but their institutions didn't work anymore. The arrangement between the Particians and Plebians broke down when the Plebians who were expected to serve in the legions could no longer afford land. Augustus solved that by giving land on the frontier to legionaries once they retired. The real lesson is that you can't just harangue people about decency and tradition and norms when their basic needs aren't being met and expect that to fix everything.