When one member of a romantic partnership practices infidelity, he or she becomes hyper-paranoid about the other partner committing the same crime. Vice has this way of snowballing: a guilty conscience magnifies suspicion, as well as jealousy, pride, and anger. Call it projection, the confessional instinct, gaslighting, or just plain hubris: cheaters often accuse their victims of the very thing they make a habit of doing, while continuing to abuse them psychologically.
Marriage may not be the perfect metaphor for the relationship between people and their leaders (official and de facto) in a democratic republic. But there are a few key similarities. Ideally, both parties are mutually subjugated to the letter of law. One party may be tasked with official leadership, but each is bound by reciprocal fidelity to the law and to the other.
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