Personally I think the best form of government is like that of modern China and Vietnam -- where government officials have five year terms and then must retire and who are selected by a limited "elite" of party members. Popular democracy never produces anything but politicians, who by definition must be dishonorable and mediocre in order to succeed.
Right now the Communist party ranks in China and Vietnam are dominated by party hacks -- people left over from unfortunate pasts. The future looks better, as it is now the case that one needs a college degree and actual achievements (kind of like getting tenure at a university) to be invited to be a member. Unfortunately, at least in Vietnam (I can't speak to China) there is a tendency to turn party membership into an inherited aristocracy. The party though seems aware of this and has been taking measures, both in its rules and in its party purges, to fix this.
This is of course Leninism -- perverted by Stalin and by others who made themselves dictators -- and now is institutionally not going to happen in China or Vietnam.
As for economics, both countries have pretty much abandoned, with a variety of excuses, strict socialism and are now pragmatic and willing to allow people to become rich, so long as they do it honestly. Of course there is massive opposition to this within the ranks of state-run administrators, and I think more energy is needed to push this, in spite of the internal political problems it causes.
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