I would add one more consideration, that I think is of significant importance:

Our system of government works best when made up of CITIZENS, rather than career politicians. When people serve for too long, they tend to get too enmeshed in the tentacles of special interest groups, bureaucracy, etc. And – we’ve seen it over and over – they start thinking of themselves as the Big Wheels that could never be replaced by mere mortals. Regular changing-of-the-guard keeps things far more interesting… and would result in better voter turnout, I imagine.

We are either working 60 hours a week on salary, or working two or three different part time jobs to scrounge enough money to not end up at the homeless shelter. Then there is the 5 hours we must devote to whorshipping our TV. Combine that with the time needed to strive for the perfect lawn, maintain all of our stuff, chauffeur the kiddies all over town, and juggle monthly bills.

Distracted corporate slaves are just not interested in spending non-existent free time carefully researching the politicians they know are lying to them with every word that comes out of their mouths. The system is broken, the politicians are in the pocket of the super wealthy and corporate interests, and every citizen with an IQ above a carrot recognizes that fact.

Please go sell your democracy nonsense to some poor, resource rich country while bombing them back to the stone age. Local politics is just as corrupt as national politics.