In theory, in a democracy, politicians are elected to Government to represent the wishes of the people – i.e. what the people want to happen in their country in the short and long term.
I think that it is reasonable to state that the integrity of people who end up in Government in a democracy is more or less representative of the integrity of our general population, and where we are at in our evolution or development.
In a best case scenario, politicians provide leadership and inspiration, promote their ideas with energy and vigour, and govern (like a governor in an engine) so that an economy does not, as we say, overheat, public services are dispensed fairly and equitably, and corporate behaviour is regulated so that the general public are not rolled over by unscrupulous people who want to take advantage of them, i.e. that things don’t get out of control.
There is always a balance to be struck between the so-called Nanny state, over-controlling and over-regulating everything, and allowing entrepreneurial people to express themselves fully and thereby contribute to the overall wealth of a population.
I am sure that you have heard of the term grassroots.
Competent politicians reflect on what the grassroots need as much as what they want, (this is related to governance above), strike a balance between the two, keep their finger on the pulse of the people, and listen carefully to the concerns of those who are on the ground.
During my short flirtation with political life (described in the last post) I began to directly experience how those in power become disconnected from what is reality, or truth, or even our felt experience. When I say in power I mean different forms of power – not just political power – because even though a lot of power to change things is vested in politics, politicians constitute only a fraction of the total amount of power in society in general.
Money and status are also important when it comes to distribution of power – many people who have power in the context of influence in society have something to gain financially, or are loyal servants of those who have a lot to gain financially, or are deferential to those who are wealthy and/or have high status.
People who have money and status try and influence politicians, and, in turn, politicians (with some notable exceptions) regard people who have both money and status very highly. (Here is just one example of many that I could give)!
The connection between politicians and big biz contributes greatly to the sense of disconnect I mention above, because the last thing that most wealthy and powerful people want is a close and strong connection between poor people and their rights as citizens.
Like, what if the poor became uppity?
(I will write more about this in the Chapter on Power and Control in Society).
As a general rule it can be said (and most people will notice) that politicians seem to be a lot more connected to people’s problems (and the concerns of the grassroots) when they are in opposition than when they are in power!
This is, of course, because priorities change after elections when full knowledge of the state of the country’s finances is available to the elected TD. A more cynical reason might be put forward too – that is, now that the TD is elected, he simply forgets everything that he has been promising because there is little or no motivation to follow through on the promises – until, of course, the next election looms. (See next post – Politicians and Addiction).
In the world in general, I propose that there is a direct relationship between the level of functionality, health and equality in society and the disconnectedness of people in power to those who are powerless. It is very unlikely that this disconnection will disappear in the foreseeable future – I imagine that with very few exceptions (though I don’t have enough knowledge to say for definite) it has existed in all societies and cultures as long as history has been written.
This is why the task of bridging this disconnect (in terms of the Focus Group, and community work in general), is so important for community workers and leaders.