In many representative democracies, even the more stable ones, such as the UK, Canada, Germany, France, the US and many others, many citizens do not have a high opinion of the politicians they elect.
But politicians in representative democracies are ordinary people who can not resist to use, and often abuse, their power because the system gives them too much power. The root problem is the system, not the politicians.
For example, in the UK, a survey performed during the 2010 general election found that 58% of those questioned thought the honesty and integrity of elected politicians in Britain was low or very low. This is the link https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-16760660.
Ninety percent of the French people have a poor opinion of politicians. Here is the link https://www.francetvinfo.fr/politique/neuf-francais-sur-10-ont-une-mauvaise-opinion-des-partis_951025.html
One third of Germans are not happy with the political process in the country. https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-democracy-problem-history/
Forty-five percent of registered voters in the US say agree with the statement, “It makes no real difference which party controls Congress, things go on just as they did before.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-americans-think-of-congress-and-the-president/
It does not matter in what representative democracy you live, very high numbers of people distrust politicians. They distrust them because they do not do what they say they will do.
In a direct democracy, it does not matter what people think of politicians. How is that?, because the people have the final decision-maker power, not the politicians. In a direct democracy, politicians can not do as much harm as in a representative democracy because they do not have the power.
However, in the only direct democracy we have; Switzerland, the politicians have more prestige than in any other country. This happens because in a direct democracy, the politicians do what the people want them to do; In this way, the Swiss trust their politicians much more than in the countries I mentioned.
The reason in most representative democracies the people do not trust politicians is because the politicians can pass any law or policy they want, not the law or policy the people want them to pass. In a direct democracy, the people can do that.
The Swiss have a high opinion of politicians because of direct democracy. In a representative democracy, the politicians can not have the trust of the people because of what I just said.
So, if you want to improve the opinion you and your countrymen have of politicians, push for direct democracy. The politicians will only bring direct democracy if you demand it at every turn.
Switzerland was representative democracy until in 1867 the Swiss people got fed up with representative democracy and, loud and clear, demanded direct democracy; Swiss politicians yielded, and the rest is history; overall, the best country in the World in most critical areas.
If the US, Canada, etc., had direct democracy, the people will have a much better opinion of their politicians. How do we know?, because in Switzerland they, and it is the result of direct democracy.
Victor Lopez
