The Political Ruling Class vs. Their Supporters
I've been wondering if the political ruling class, that is, the politicians and others of their ilk, are distinct from their supporters. That is, supporters' sympathies may bring them to liberalism, conservatism, libertarianism, environmentalism, or socialism; and then they'll attach their support to a grassroots movement, a political party, or a charismatic leader. On the other hand, the political ruling class is the ruling class because, mainly, they want to rule. Their ideology and party affiliation may be a coincidence of birth, geography, or expedient. Their ability to be a good, effective decision maker is largely a consequence of what their constituency will re-elect them for and what external circumstances obviate. The politician's sociological function is to bridge various constituencies and special interests together and channel a sort of collective decision; this happens from his or her watching his or her self-interest.
I'm not saying that all politicians are hypocritical and only saying what will get them re-elected and win them influence in Congress or wherever, but this is the tendency. Supporters may have some more self-interested motives too, but generally they do not move up to the higher echelons because they lack this politicking drive.
I would bet that they have an ideological tendency that drives them to go this far, they probably also have a malleable conscience as well to help them deal with their issues. They are likely less ideological than their constituents but that is because politics appeals to the median voter anyway, but parties are collections of major ideological forces within society.
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