Government and The People 101

15% of everyone in (government) are in it for the right reasons; the other 85% are in the 'just happy to be here' club - JC Watts, former 8-term US Congressman (OK) and 2X starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners

Get into the government's business, or IT will surely be into YOURS - quip from Sheila Danish, a Facebook friend

An informed and engaged citizenry is the SWORN ENEMY of the crooked politician - nationally syndicated talk show host Neal Boortz

The price of political apathy is to allow your inferiors to rule over you - Plato

Government is not the solution to our problems; government IS THE PROBLEM - Ronald Reagan

The government that governs BEST governs the LEAST - Thomas Jefferson

Government is supposed to defend our country and preserve law and order, not fix every leaky faucet in every leaky life - nationally syndicated talk show host Bill Bennett

If we want an EFFECTIVE, WORKABLE representative republic government, whether on the federal, state or municipal level we have to first DEFINE and ARTICULATE just WHAT is the proper role of the government in relation to the greater society, something that tends to be on the bottom of the average citizen's priority list (more on that later).

In a (near-)perfect world, over half the population of a country, state or city will care about politics so that they know not just the POTUS but their US Senators, Congressmen & state legislators; attend town meetings as often as possible; be abreast of forthcoming legisation and call, e-mail & snail-mail support or opposition; and listen to as much issues-oriented talk radio as possible.

However, people being people, most tend to shove government matters, whether national, state or local, to the shelf for one or both of these two basic reasons, in many cases both are applicable:  1) their jobs and then their daily domestic to-do lists, and 2) their 'bread-and-circuses' entertainment (TV, movies, pro and recreational sports), with which they detox and decompress then tune out and zone out on local, national
and global current events.

This then leads to any one on these three possible wrong-headed assumptions about government, anyone can hold two or all three at one time: 1) people in government are wiser and know better and ALWAYS have their constituents' best interests at heart; 2) who cares about what goes on in government because it doesn't matter; and 3) government should be Robin Hood & Santa Claus, take from those who work to give to those who WON'T work.

With these assumptions prevailing among the majority of populace, the people then DON'T hold their governments accountable. That's why you get stuff like the Imperial Federal Gooberment plunking down $500 for a sledge hammer or $1200 for an ivory toilet with a 24 karat gold flush handle; a current sitting POTUS who thinks he's emperor who lives high on the hog on the taxpayers' dime with the 73-and-countng golf outings and numerous fancy-shmancy gigs on AF1; and the mayor and 7-8 city managers or councilmen of Bell, a Los Angeles suburb, who have finagled for themselves hefty six-figure salaries while their constituents average $35K a year.  Hence the immortal quote by Plato: the price of indifference towards politics is to allow your inferiors.

When more people get their arms around the fact that people in government are very fallible, susceptible to tempation and capable of making wrong decisions, they then WILL take an active role in holding their governments accountable.