[Dx5IQ]

>Why should so few individuals have outsized social, political and economic power over the whole country?

You just answered the question. Because they are the elected representatives. If you didn't trust them, why did you elect them in the first place?

[oarabbus_]

They're elected for their political platforms and ideology, not their ability to manage budgets, evidenced by alarming deficit spending. Overwhelmingly across the world, governments have a proven track record of wastefulness, inefficiency and bloat.

In the last few years, elected officials (in the USA) spent over $10 billion on a wall. The previous admin's COVID relief bill included billions towards missiles, warships and other military spending. The current admin's $1T+ infrastructure bill allocates less than half of that amount towards roads, highways, bridges, tunnels, etc.

It includes billions in corporate subsidies and items like over $500M to Alaska including $100M for an airport when no other airport in the country even received $10M (AL senator Shelby is the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee). Middleburg VA gets $2M for a new town hall, and Palo Alto CA gets $3M for their history museum. Giving these people _more_ money is madness.

The question remains open.