relevence of the prince in present times

There are a few themes here.There is a fine line between a leader being loved or despised. In order to avoid a revolt from his people the Prince had to be respected by his people, even feared. If the Prince is hated the people's anger may extend beyond their fear and the Prince is in trouble. This is relevant, to varying extents, today. In a democracy a party always has to be cognisant of the people. If the people are unhappy, come next election, are not re-elected. More particularly, a dictator must constantly walk the line between fear, anger and respect of the people. This is why so many "strong men" come and go. Consider recent events in Egypt and Tunisia as examples of this balance of power.