CMV: The US system of government does not allow politicians to use self-restraint.

EDIT: I have signed off for the night. Some good comments, though not many, that I will respond to in the morning. <br><br><br>In studying history and politics, and in talking to politicians, it is overwhelmingly apparent to me that the system of government in the US does not reap the best self-restrained politicians for the country.<br>I believe that the US government is based upon competition, and laws/law enforcement, to govern and mold politicians' behaviors to provide the best outcomes for the US. This is in contrast to systems of government that rely on the self-restraint of politicians. I hypothesize that the US government dominates the global economy, military, popular culture, and moral standards because of this system of governance, rather than despite it. <br>In contrast, countries that rely on the self-restraint of politicians (I hypothesize) dominate in human development (e.g. Norway) and happiness (e.g. Denmark), and other categories that require selflessness and humility.<br><br>I welcome all CMVers who disagree with my hypothesis, and I am especially interested in hearing from people who are from countries that (they believe) rely on the self-restraint of politicians, politicians who have witnessed or participated in self-restraint, or people who have any other unique perspective to this issue.<br><br>**Edit:** By "self-restraint," I mean politicians' willingness to act in the best interest of their constituents, rather than in their own interest. While self-restraint does not mean that politicians have to sacrifice their own happiness, it requires that politicians sometimes sacrifice their own happiness for the betterment of their constituents' happiness. <br>In contrast, to get elected in the US, politicians have to raise large amounts of funds and use those funds on advertising and other "networking" opportunities to get their names out there and build their personal brand. <br>The inevitable consequence of this is that politicians are the best fundraisers and networkers, at the expense of being the best policymakers. <br>Thus, the government is primarily run by fundraisers and people who know how to build their personal brand, rather than people who are selfless and put their constituents' needs before their own.