By Stephen Scuderi

Widener University Political Science Major

After reading this article about Romney’s proposed tax cuts to fix  the deficit I have come to one conclusion. Politicians only care about being reelected.  If politicians really cared about solving the deficit problem for the good of the nation, they would have come to an agreement years ago. Raise taxes on the top income bracket, raise the capital gains tax, and cut federal spending. The hardest part of the negotiations should be figuring out how to raise percentages and how much money is acceptable to cut. We cannot tax our way out of the deficit nor can we cut our way out.

I am a firm believer in the trustee model of representation as opposed to the delegate model. Although politicians represent their constituents, at some level, they must represent the nation as a hole and need to act in favor of the greater common good. The sad truth is that politicians’ behaviors are caused by the voters. We have a growing deficit and there is no magic painless pill. Citizens need to stop blindly supporting politicians who promise “to cut taxes and balance the budget without drastically cutting public services.” Such an unrealistic platform will only lead to the political inaction that we are faced with today, leaving politicians scared to death of reelection. Voters hear that their representatives support tax hikes and act as if congressmen personally steal money out of their checking accounts. Citizens need to let politicians do their jobs and have faith in their judgments.