What are the aims of a politician? ALL politicians?
(1) To attain office and remain in office.
How does a politician achieve this?
By being a salesman and selling himself to everyone who will enable him to achieve power, by manipulating the emotions of others, and by bribing.
Knowing this, your role in the system is this:
Not to be swayed by cheap words, fear tactics, cheap bribery, or any of the other tricks that politicians play, all politicians,
But to decide what you want the politician to do for you, how he should achieve that, and then demand it from him in reward for your vote.
If you allow him to pretend to promise you something, or to let him sway you by pretending that his policies will help you achieve what you want even though they will not, or to scare you into supporting a policy that will not improve your life, then they have won and you have lost.
In short, you must first know what you want (which is different from what a politician has convinced you what you want),
You must know how it is achieved (which is different from how a politician says it can be achieved)
And you must hold your politicians accountable (not vote for them because your family has always voted that way, or because they pay lip service to the military, or to a religion, or to babies, applie pie and the flag).
So research what needs to be changed, how it needs to be changed, and write to your politiican, and threaten to withhold your vote and to agitate against them unless they do what you want. Do not listen to their attempts to tell you why you are wrong. If they knew the right way, things would already be fixed.
If you fail to do your sacred duty as a voter in this way,
You get the politicians you deserve.
This goes for all parties in all countries in all times.