Possibly the most pertinent question explored throughout the course of this series is: “Which is superior – democracy or autocracy?”
On the surface, it may seem that the series leans towards answering with “autocracy”. And, indeed, this is a notion that some fans of the series seem to take away from it. After all, Reinhard used his absolute power to usher in a period of good government, all while the democratic FPA decayed into nonexistence at the hands of corrupt and incompetent officials. However, like most themes the series deals with, there ultimately isn’t a clear answer that we’re guided towards – we’re expected to put together the pieces that the show provides us with, and come to our own conclusions.
The events in the show which might appear to support the idea that autocracy is the superior form of government are, in essence, every positive thing Reinhard achieves. Leveraging the strength of his autocratic regime, he not only unites humanity and ends the 150-year bloodshed, but transforms the decadent, aristocratic Empire into an efficient meritocracy where citizens largely enjoy equal rights. There is also no shortage of plot points that seem to amplify this notion by showing off the shortcomings of democracy. Take, for example, the FPA’s war-hawk leaders that enthusiastically declare war on the Empire to secure their own re-elections – resulting in 20 million soldiers being sent to their deaths. Take the FPA’s corrupt, cult-controlled leader surrendering the nation to save his own skin. The list goes on – you get the point.
All this being said, it is clear that the series is far from a condemnation of democratic governance – its arguments for democracy are just presented differently. Throughout the series, the harshest critiques of autocracy and most robust defenses of democracy aren’t directly shown through what happens the story, but said by Yang himself. Through Yang’s personal musings, we hear his points of view on government, and are given counterpoints to what Reinhard’s achievements might imply. Yang argues that, while an “ideal” autocrat like Reinhard can produce better results for people than a weak democracy, the uncertainty of how a good autocrat’s successors will govern negates any potential short-term benefits they could bring. Furthermore, he argues that the primary “sin” of autocracy is that bad governance can be swept under the rug and blamed on a single person, while bad governments in a democracy can be held accountable.
It's also worth pointing out that the history episodes provide significant support for Yang’s pro-democracy arguments. We see how Rudolf came to power by promising to tear down the institutional barriers created by democracy, and leaving a legacy of cruelty and bloodshed in his wake. His successors, too, proved largely incompetent and inconsiderate of the peoples’ needs. While we don’t have the benefit of being able to assess what happens to the Empire after the death of Reinhard, the possibility of his heir/s making the same mistakes is, in and of itself, a strong warning against ceding political control to an all-powerful ruler.
LoGH’s refusal to explicitly endorse one ideology over the other is a large part of what makes the series so interesting. Barring the sci-fi technology and fantastical space battles, in many ways, its nuanced approaches to these themes makes for a story that seems believable in the context of human history.