Politicians do not share the same attitudes as the general public. Neither do party members and those who attend political conferences. Though the difference is not as large as people normally think there is.
Party members are seen as to be one of two things; staunch supporters and gatekeepers of democracy or critical storm troopers who spearhead political change and reform.
In the later decades it has become normal for the general public to see the political establishment as being detached from the rest of society and people don't have much faith in politicians as they are in a world of their own. But studies based on questionnaires reveal that that the attitudes of party members and the general public are almost identical. Both the public and party members prefer participatory democratic ideals to protection democracy and representative democracy. Differences in attitudes are mostly found in the fringes of the political spectrum.
The younger people and the higher education they, the more likely they prefer participatory democratic ideals. Also the more active the party members are, the more faith they have in politicians and that their party listens to the people.
