We can roughly define each politician as one of three types: the re-election politician, the constituent politician, and the principles politician.

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Edmund Burke once said,

“Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”

Many often cite this quote as the origin of the trustee model of representation, one of three models proposed in a democratic society. The other two models, the delegate model of representation and the politico model of representation, differ in one major way.

In a delegate model of representation, home communities elect their representatives to be their voice. As such, they should keep personal judgments on the issues to themselves. Instead, they should serve merely as a conduit for the positions of their constituents on each issue.

The politico model of representation merely states that, in real life, politicians often act as a hybrid of both delegates and trustees, depending on the issue.

These models are useful in theoretical circumstances. But I believe they all miss this root of the debate. It is not about what kind of representative a politician aspires to be, but what type of politician each man and woman is. To this end, I posit that, with rare exceptions, we can roughly define each politician as one of three types.

The Re-Election Politician

This is, sadly, the most prominent type of politician in Washington at the moment. As the name suggests, a politician of this variety is primarily concerned with his or her re-election. This may be for good intentions, or it may just be that they desire the comfort that comes with an elected position. Regardless, the results are the same.

A politician of this type lacks a central principle, other than winning elections. As such, he or she will flip positions on an issue depending on the world around them, to win the votes of their constituents.

History’s most famous example of this type of politician is Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Byrd holds the distinction for being the longest-serving member of the United States Senate, a position he held from 1959 to 2010. In total, he served in Washington, D.C. for 57 years.

His desire for power was well-established throughout his career. He held most of the leadership positions that the Senate has to offer. His political positions varied with the times. Originally a member of the Civil Rights Act filibuster, he later decried racism. He supported the Vietnam War when a longtime associate, Lyndon Johnson, supported it. But he would later decry military intervention in Iraq under Bush. As a Senator from one of the country’s poorest states, he was an avid supporter of pork-barrel spending — until it was Republicans doing the spending.

The Constituent Politician

This is, for all intents and purposes, the same as the re-election politician. A constituent politician runs on whatever positions make him or her the most popular candidate in their district, even if these positions contradict themselves.

What makes a constituent politician different from the re-election politician, is their commitment to the positions they hold. A constituent politician is, usually, honest enough to admit when his constituency has shifted enough to step down, or is willing to gracefully lose re-election. While lacking a central through-line to guide their policies, they do stay true to their stated positions.

An example of this kind of politician is Paul Ryan. Ryan ran in a conservative district, as a conservative politician, but adopted some wayward policies to appease his constituents. As he rose through the ranks of the House, he continued to hold the same basic policy positions he had when he was elected.

However, when 2018 came, and he realized that Republicans would not be able to hold the House under his leadership, he gracefully resigned his position. He announced he would not run for re-election. He stepped down, thinking that it would be the best course for both himself and his constituents.

The Principles Politician

This is my favorite kind of politician, a man, or woman, with a spine. The principles politician is, as his name suggests, a politician who believes in some core principle.

This kind of politician understands his job is not to represent a certain segment of the population, but to convince that segment that his principles are the best there are. If he or she is elected, they operate in service of those principles, even if doing so means operating in opposition to his or her own re-election chances or constituent wishes.

If the constituency decides that the politician’s principles are no longer desirable, it is his job to leave gracefully. Good examples of this type of politician can be found on either side of the aisle, though they are increasingly rare.

In conservative camps, Justin Amash is the model of a principles politician. He stands for freedom, as anyone who analyzes his policy preferences can tell. Amash has always stood by freedom, even to the detriment of his own party. If he loses re-election this November, it will be because his constituents decide that his principles no longer represent them, not because he abandoned those principles.

On the left, Bernie Sanders is much the same he has always been. Whatever you think of him, honest observers must admit he has been committed to his principles for much of his political life. They may be egregious, but at least he is honest about them.

Some Words of Advice

This analysis may be an oversimplification of the types of men and women who run for office. If anyone thinks I am wrong in my analysis, I will be glad to hear from them. Until then, however, I have some words of advice to the country: for far too long we have been complacent with the first two types of politicians and, until now, the third type are few and far between. If we ever want Washington to change, electing more principled men and women is the first and most important step.

Do you have a response to this article? Would you like to offer your own take on this topic? Feel free to submit your own article or offer a comment below.

Scott Howard is a constitutionally-minded conservative freelance writer with a focus on fiscal matters and foreign policy. He has been an active contributor to The Liberty Hawk. You can follow him on Twitter: @thenextTedCruz

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