The Real Nature of Politics lecture teaches that when you start pressuring a politician there will be a predictable progression of behaviors designed to get you to quit pressuring them - without them taking action.
The article about this states they 1)start by ignoring you, 2) then provide an "explanation" that doesn't explain how their actions benefit them, 3) whine about us being "unreasonable," 4) try to buy us with "help" that doesn't work, 5) go on the attack, and 6) finally quit trying to avoid change. They give a recent historical example of this process.
They comment that too often, we don't have the persistence needed for us to require that politicians really represent us, instead of special interests. We lose by default.
Comments? Does this apply in any case(s) you know? Is it like this in non-USA countries