More than a decade ago, it was common to hear politicians complain about the declining popularity of entering the political sphere among ambitious people, arguing that people with strong resumes were no longer running for public office. Instead, they were starting their own businesses or pursuing high-paying jobs in the private sector. As they often testified, power was shifting — rapidly — from the public to the private sector. In a capitalist society, such a shift comes as little surprise. In retrospect, however, lawmakers’ observations were not entirely accurate. The National Assembly, whose primary duties include making, revising and abolishing laws, was — and still is — a powerful institution. It remains influential enough to shape, or even determine, the nation’s fate. It is true that societal change has diversified the values people pursue, to the extent that money has become as important as honor. The brain drain in electoral politics, a direct result of its declining appeal, raises a fundamental question: Who is primarily responsible? Last week’s hearings in the Co