“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
– Hebrews 11:1 (New International Version)
Why are certain individuals elected to serve in public office? Because we the people vote with our faith that these are the individuals who will best represent us in their respective roles. This faith is based on the candidates’ promises and conduct during their election campaigns, and on their previous performance in positions of responsibility.
We the people have the right to expect that the individuals whom we elect to public office will take actions that are in the best interests of all. In many cases, this is exactly what happens.
Unfortunately, far too many other public officials occasionally take actions that seem to be the exact opposite of what they claim to believe in. For example, there are otherwise fiscally conservative politicians who will on occasion strongly support a prohibitively expensive and/or inappropriate public works or economic development project. Actions like these are often not only totally out of character for these individuals, but also defy logic and reason. These same public officials will do everything they possibly can to defend their actions, using rationalizations that they know will appeal to their constituents.
Why would otherwise believable public officials take actions that violate their own character? Because of the obstacles that anyone must overcome to make themselves acceptable as a candidate for public office.
I have done only a small amount of volunteer political work, but I’ve spent enough time around enough people who have been a part of the local political system to have gained some small understanding about how it works in Lancaster City and County.
To be successful in any election generally requires the endorsement of one of the two major political parties. This appears to be a result of the endorsed candidate’s influence within their own party, and the influence of that local party on their adherents. We’ve all seen the valiant efforts put on by unendorsed candidates and independents, but they have rarely been successful. And to be endorsed, a person must first have endeared themselves to the political party of which they claim affiliation.
Generally, ingratiating oneself to a political party begins with a long track record of volunteer work. A person generally starts out by going door-to-door to support a party’s candidates, working the phones, supporting a party’s candidates in public or at the polls, or even by stuffing envelopes. Regularly attending political events of one’s own party is a big plus. But dissenters and naysayers need not apply; a person must toe the local party line, or they will very quickly find that their help and assistance is no longer welcome.
After many months – or even years – of volunteer work, a person can graduate to the local political committee. The position of local committee person carries a large amount of responsibility; this individual must manage their party’s grass roots activities in their own district, including working to find volunteers for jobs like poll worker.
A person can either be elected or appointed to a committee position; if a district committee spot is open or up for election, a person can file the petitions to get their name on the ballot. Between elections, individuals can be appointed by the local party leadership to an open committee position (Lancaster City has a large number of vacant committee positions in both major parties). But anyone who serves on a political committee is expected to perform their duties for the betterment of their party, otherwise they will no longer be welcome. In exchange for their time and effort, committee people are permitted to vote for the candidates they want to see endorsed on the primary ballot.
What kind of individual is likely to be endorsed? This system tends to guarantee that individuals who have a proven record of toeing the party line are the ones who end up endorsed on the primary ballot, where they are most likely to win a spot in a general election.
There is one very large wild card in all of this: MONEY. Running for office is expensive. The only way anyone can expect to collect votes is if voters know who they are. Even the least significant elected position requires at least some promotional material, if nothing more than a handout used during door-to-door and face-to-face campaigning. Media advertising can get very expensive, very quickly; the more important the office, the larger the audience, the greater the cost.
Here is where the balance of power shifts: only a small percentage of the general public has enough disposable income available to make sizable contributions to political candidates. And people who are more well off financially are able to make more and larger political contributions, to more candidates. These individuals, as does everyone who can afford to, tend to donate to those candidates who support the policies that the contributors believe in. This gives an edge to those candidates who openly support the interests of people who have a greater than average disposable income.
It also means that many candidates tend to pay the most attention to the interests of the people who financially support them the most. And the candidates who run for the more prominent positions are the ones who need the most financial support. This process, by its very nature, tends to eliminate those individuals whose main priorities do not mesh with those of their most prolific political contributors.
This is why people who are prominent in business often become the most prominent in political affairs. These are the people who can afford to contribute the most money to political candidates.
This is why otherwise reasonable politicians will occasionally support unreasonable projects: to cater to the wishes of their biggest contributors. Of course, these elected officials always make an immense to make their proposals seem reasonable to the public.
This is why people and businesses impacted by these decisions, along with concerned citizens who care how our tax dollars are being spent, are almost always ignored – or worse. Even people who have logical and reasonable concerns about a project or an issue are often belittled, ridiculed, or even personally attacked for their stand; not because they are wrong, but because elected officials often consider the wishes of those who helped them get elected to be more important than the needs of their constituents.
This is why elected officials so often violate our faith in them.
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” – 1 Timothy 6:9-11 (New International Version)
