Should politicians be held to a higher standard than common citizens?

[kentuck]

In my opinion, they should.

Because they take an oath to protect and defend our Constitution. The common citizen does not.

An oath should mean something.

It is obvious that we have politicians that have betrayed that oath.

They deserve no breaks.

[Boomerproud]

1. Yes.

Plus they should never be above the law.

[2naSalit]

2. Yes.

[Duncanpup]

3. Absolutely

[stillcool]

4. would be really nice if they wouldn't lie

in public, while doing their job. The problem with law-makers is they make and break the laws.

[rickyhall]

5. They should be held to the same standard as common citizens, at least.

Many don't even meet that.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

6. Yes

They need to be held to impeccable standards because of the power they have.

[elleng]

7. 'Just' 'common decency,'

sadly no longer 'common.'

[Iggo]

8. They should be held to the SAME standard as common citizens. Because they ARE common citizens.

[Deuxcents]

11. Yes, until we give them

“The honorable XXX.. we all should be held to account. Especially the ones who took the Oath to serve honorably

[TigressDem]

9. Politicians should perform their jobs and honor their oath of office.

The common citizen is obligated by the laws of the land and so should the politicians.

We should all stand up for the Constitution because without it, we are no longer a Democracy and equality could be written off forever.

[meadowlander]

10. With respect to things that are relevant to their job, yes.

They're given power, they have additional responsibility to exercise it responsibly. And in a functioning democracy, they should be leading by example.

But I don't think just because someone is a politician, they can't do things that are legal but that some people might find immoral or less than ideal as long as it doesn't impact on their job.

I don't think politicians should stay in loveless marriages to set an example for their constituents, for example, or that their personal/sex lives in general are anybody elses' business. I don't think they should have to prove that they are super-parents by having all their kids graduate top of their class at Harvard or demonstrate that they go to church every Sunday or that they never smoke or enjoy a drink off duty.

I think the standard is competent and not corrupt or criminal, not perfect.