Imagine a scenario in which a large majority of people in your town wanted to eliminate all taxes even if that meant the local government could no longer fund road repairs or the local police force.A representative of this town would be acting as a ________ if he or she decided to eliminate all taxes.In contrast, this representative would be acting as a(n) ________ if he or she refused to eliminate all taxes, arguing that cutting all taxes was not in the best interest of the town.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A delegate acts based on the wishes and opinions of their constituents, while a trustee takes on a more independent role and acts in what they believe to be the best interest of their constituents, even if it goes against their opinions. In this scenario, the representative would be acting as a delegate if they eliminated all taxes because that is what the majority of the constituents wanted, even if it ultimately harmed the town. On the other hand, if the representative refused to eliminate all taxes and argued that it was not in the best interest of the town, they would be acting as a trustee, taking on a more independent role and making a decision based on what they believe is best for the town, even if it goes against the wishes of the majority.

Imagine a Scenario in Which a Large Majority of People