One step closer to a dictatorship? Was Plato right?

[Huin]

14. I need to add my five pennie's worth

Yes, the representative form of democracy relieves the constituents from the job of being immediately involved in government. But it does not relieve the people from being informed, only then can the best candidates be elected. But this process of electing someone should not be just a popularity contest. It also places an enormous duty on the elected officials. When they take their oath of office, they must forget their personal pet preferences, but daily or more often should they reevaluate what they do or say because they are no longer what they were before they took that job to which they were elected. If they are House Representatives they have become responsible to work for the well-being of the people in their district. Not only of those who contributed and voted for them, but for all of the people in that district, collectively. Only then can that respective district be properly represented. The same goes for those officials elected state-wide or those when elected to the chief executive office. In any case, they are no longer individuals who can do or not do as they please, they now have a mandate to serve and serve hopefully dutifully well. Some just don't understand that.