# Career politicians vs. "citizen legislators"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/career-politicians-vs-citizen-legislators/530613>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 27, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/career-politicians-vs-citizen-legislators/530613 "2010-02-27T04:06:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 58

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/career-politicians-vs-citizen-legislators/530613/58 "2010-03-12T21:58:33Z")

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City managers are hired (at least in my town) by elected non-professional middlemen. The city managers are hired guns from outside & not directly accountable to the people. The city council are a bunch of _dilettantes_ who have other jobs & incomes, thus have divided interests & distractions.

Strong mayors are voted in, act as professionals, & actually rule. They are also responsible to the people.

I’m not sure which is better, which is worse.

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