Politicians, Partisan and Non-Partisan

Why Politicians Matter

Making choices is hard and takes time. How many pairs of shoes do you try on before settling on a purchase? And that's a choice where you're the only person affected.

Now think about bigger issues—ones that touch not just your comfort, but the lives of many others. How much would you need to know? What values would guide you? How would others react? And how would you weigh all that while still doing your job and caring for your family?

Unless, of course, that is your job. In which case, you're a politician.

When you face a complex issue that demands careful study and affects a large number of people—each with their own view on the right outcome—the most practical path is to find a politician whose stance aligns with yours. You hand them the task of working with other groups so that action can be taken.

It's a clever arrangement: you don't have to bend on your beliefs, and you have someone else to hold to account for the trade-offs needed to bridge competing interests. This also means that politicians, by the very nature of their work in forging agreement, will let some of their voters down. But remember: getting things done requires give and take.

Politicians are people elected or appointed to speak for others within a government or party. They play a vital role in shaping public policy, standing up for voters' interests, and working toward the common good. The choices they make affect people's lives and can have lasting impact.

Why Groups Form

Building support for a position is easier when you have like-minded allies behind you. It's also simpler to agree on a specific policy when it fits the broader goals of your coalition. This is why politicians tend to band together.

These groupings serve another purpose: they help voters spot which candidate on the ballot might best match their views, without needing to study each person's full platform.

However, when all the major groups fail to address local concerns, independent politicians step forward—candidates focused on issues close to home, even when standing for bodies that make laws with much wider reach. A surge of independents often signals that the established parties aren't meeting local needs.

Beyond Group Loyalty

Group-based politics isn't needed—or even fitting—in every setting.

Think of a well-framed referendum, where two sides ("yes" and "no") lay out their arguments and voters must accept or reject the proposal. While such votes are often shaped by the governing group and refined through debate, this isn't the only way. Independent panels can be set up to tackle topics that cut across party lines or that no existing platform addresses. These panels, drawn from a cross-section of the public, study the issue closely and craft a question that can be settled with a simple up-or-down vote.

Another case for moving past group loyalty is the election of a ceremonial head of state. Where the president is seen as a symbol of the whole nation—a living stand-in for the state itself—candidates are best judged on how well they embody what voters believe the country represents. This may not line up neatly with any party's platform, or even with current government policy.

After all, the questions "Who best reflects what I think of as our nation?" and "Who has the best ideas and skill to help me thrive?" don't always have the same answer.