Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: bigger than themselves
Author: David Carter-Tod Posted: 12/21/1998; 12:23:54 PM Topic: Cardboard Cutout People Msg #: 1589 (In response to 1585) Prev/Next: 1588 / 1590
We're getting into what the definition of a politician is, I think, which I'm not sure I have time or space to flesh out, but my sense is that politicians make laws and policy that affect everyone in their area of responsibility and beyond. When they make those laws and approve policy they need to take into account the effect they will have on anyone possible. When they take that into account, they are representing all the possible stakeholders in a decision. For example, when they make laws about child abuse, they are ostensibly making them in the interests of children and in that sense "represent" those children.Typically, politicians cast themselves as representing the interests of voters, tax-payers or citizens, or even sub-groups such as particular industries. The main point I wanted to make to you originally is that these are very different things and that too often people choose the more restrictive of these.
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