The biggest issue with elected politicians is the tendency for them to become professional bureaucrats. Which is why "term limits" are often seen as a solution to some of the problems in Washington.

In theory, elected representatives are supposed to reign in the professional bureaucrats to prevent them from becoming a "ruling class". Look how comfortably government agencies pass rules and regulations without the consent of the people.

The theory of an elected body reigining these professional bureaucrats only works when the elected politicians anticipates "re-joining" the people as just another citizen within a reasonably short period of time.

But if you intend to spend your careeer as a professional bureaucrats rather than a citizen, then you become part of the problem.

The Founding Fathers realized the citizens were not any more virtous than bureaucrats/nobles. But because one of the primary purposes of government according to the Declaration of Indepence is to protect the unalienable rights granted individuals by the Creator, there must be a process to protect those individual unalienable rights from government overreach. Congress was supposed to be that process... and it has failed.