In the meantime, let us consider Rome’s problems directly. I see poor governance as an issue today; particularly if paired with class instability. I don’t see the military as a factor. The American Armed Forces have no tradition of opposition to our political system and the fact that they report to the President makes for a strong link to the national government.
Bureaucracy is a risk factor. Max Weber considered bureaucracy as one of the great evils of the modern capitalist society. He saw its dangers as the de-personalization of humanity and the rise of a structure designed to serve its own interests rather than those of policy makers. The more socialist the society, the more bureaucratic it must become -- interesting in light of the current debate over the role of government put forward by the Obama administration. Because bureaucracy can’t be undone, it threatens to use up dollars that should go to recipients of the programs the bureaucracy was created to help.