should representatives persuade the populace or just follow its expressed majority will?

[ulysses]

This seems to be an underlying question.

[OKNancy]

1. ... or make their decisions using their best judgment

It's a sticky question sometimes. There have been times when it is good NOT to follow the majority opinion and to buck the system. Civil rights issues come to mind.

[babylonsister]

2. I would love to have an honest back and forth chat, where they actually

listen to what we have to say. The technology is available, but they don't seem to want to do much listening or representing.

[LWolf]

3. Both.

They should offer us their perspective, and their plan, listen to our response, keep the dialog open, and then follow our expressed will while we continue to discuss the issues.

[mcscajun]

4. Both.

There's self-interest, and there's enlightened self-interest. Our representatives have a responsibility to give us the benefit of their knowledge and experience, and we have a responsibility to give them the benefit of our ideas, opinions, support and/or criticism.

It's a two-way street.

Edmund Burke said it best: "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."