One thing that most people either don't know or don't want to know is that America is NOT a democracy. It's not supposed to be. That word democracy gets tossed around like it actually means something in this country. Alot like the separation of church and state. There is NO such thing. America is a republic. "and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands..." One might ask, "What's the difference between a democracy and a republic?". These definitions are from the 1828 Webster's dictionary:

democracy - , n. Government by the people; a form of government, in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of the people collectively, or in which the people exercise the power of legislation.

republic - , n. A commonwealth; a state in which the exercise of the sovereign power is lodged in representatives elected by the people. In modern usage, it differs from a democracy or democratic state, in which the people exercise the powers of sovereignty in person.

Based upon these two definitions, which type of government does the U.S. have? It is a republic. Texas was a republic before it was annexed by the U.S. The use of politicians is not a new one. People get upset that the government is corrupt or they only favor the wealthy. Practice what this country is all about. Run for office, give soft money to the candidate of your choice, instill change within the confines of what you personally can do. Quit bellyaching about what needs to be done and do what you think is right for the millions of people who you think is on your side. The reason that certain groups are able to get stuff passed is because they do what needs to be done. unfortunately, it involves money, and lots of it. The only way to instill change is to go about the chain of command to get your points across and that way you can say you did your part.