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This question is not a straightforward as it seems. The political world is a complex one and it takes time to learn how to get things done at this level as well as who to approach for support for certain aims. In other words the politicians who think along similar lines, not necessarily party ones. Here experience is useful.

When a senator or congressman has been in office for a number of years, they know these details and have 'connections'. Often achieving aims and objectives is best done by who you know and the contacts you establish. So time is a useful element to achieving contacts.

On the other hand, those individuals who spend a lifetime in political circles become cynical and lose their freshness. Those who entered the life with dreams of doing good quickly learn how impossible it is to take forward ideas which the powerful political background, often unelected gurus and civil servants, does not agree with. It is easy for these people to stall an idea before it can get off the ground. In England during Margaret Thatcher's premiership there was a program called 'Yes, Minister'. It demonstrated very well how civil servants, unelected, but who know the ropes can derail a 'good' politician.

The longer a politician is in power, the more contacts there will be. Because it is almost impossible to lead an exemplary life there will be misdemeanors, mistakes, not necessarily more than that, which the person would prefer was not made public. This information can be used to manipulate how the politician votes and what he or she supports. At the same time, it is easy for politicians to be dazzled by the 'glamor' of the lifestyle and the real and apparent power. It can make an unsophisticated politician think they are doing what everyone else does when they succumb to pressure from certain directions. Ones which are not in their best interests or which serve of their electorate well.

This sounds like the integrity of senators and congressmen is being challenged. The political world is full of those who 'know the score' and know also what the public will and will not tolerate.

A combination of term limits for the politicians but also a more open minded public with a clear understanding of the reality of the political world is what is necessary. When the public are well informed about how the system works, and what is possible, they can put enormous pressure on their politicians to do what they want. Otherwise the politicians will go with the party line, even when that is not what the average voter wants.

The last aspect to consider is what the party line is. At the obvious level it is designed by the politicians but it has to be administered by the professional political civil servants and they tend to be from a 'certain' background. Well educated and establishment; they will act a guides in a policy development. Most voters are fairly sure of which side they support but they only have published aims to guide them. What the agenda behind the scenes is, is another matter. The Bush administration demonstrated this admirably.

Learn more about this author, Rosemary Redfern.
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