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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: kumar who wrote (74492)	2/16/2003 3:45:07 AM
From: D. Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

In a small group, democracy works. But when we're talking 280 million, whew. Can you imagine? Everyone uses the term democracy to mean elective government now, but there is a difference in a strict sense. When you elect someone to represent you, you're electing a "platform" more than a "person" ideally. Who wants some jerk in office who makes his decisions solely upon who sends him letters, or what he thinks is popular, not on the principles you thought he represented as well as feedback from his electorate? That's how I look at it, at least. Derek

To: kumar who wrote (74492)	2/16/2003 11:28:47 AM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

>>I agree that an elected official ought to represent his/her electorate.<< I apologize for not knowing how India elects its legislators. In the US, an elected official represents not just party members, but everybody in his/her region. Thus, Bush represents not just Republicans but all Americans, and the Mayor of Washington, D.C., represents everybody in that city, white or black, rich or poor, Republican or Democrat. In some places, elected officials only care about the people who actually elected him/her -- Chicago used to be famous for this, and I believe Philadelphia, too. In Chicago, when it snowed, the Democrat neighborhoods got their streets plowed before the Republican neighborhoods. The rest of the country thinks that this is corrupt, very bad form, and sour grapes. When you are elected, you are supposed to put partisan politics behind you.