The Oath and the Office
I would like to begin with a document that every officeholder in a democracy has signed and very few have read carefully: the oath of office.
The oath – in its various national formulations – commits the officeholder to serve the public interest, uphold the law, and discharge their duties with integrity. It does not mention party loyalty. It does not mention donor obligations. It does not mention reelection strategy. It does not mention the expedient thing, the popular thing, or the thing most likely to generate a favorable news cycle.