There are certain diseases that strike elected officials and can interfere with rational decision-making in the public sector.  I have tried to list some of them alphabetically and define the characteristics here.

Agendus Advocatus:  Elected officials showing signs of this disease routinely turn all discussions back to one particular subject; they then expound on this subject for lengthy periods of time.  Severe cases are characterized by advocacy at completely inappropriate times and places.  For example, an elected official might be present to throw out the first ball in the baseball season and begin expounding on the abortion issue.  This disease can be cured by ending invitations to speak and, for more direct intervention, the surgical removal of electric power from microphones.

Chartus Ignorus: This disease can occur without warning and while dealing with varied issues.  It is characterized by a sudden ability to ignore a particular section of the City Charter, the document that defines how city government operates. Outbreaks generally occur during emotional discussions. At the state and national levels, it is referred to as Constitutus Ignorus.

Cloutus Politicus:  another slow-growth disease that shows itself by an incessant desire for power.  In Washington, D.C., can be referred to as Potomac Fever; while readily apparent in clumsy practitioners, most often is manifested at the end of a political career when the incumbent announces that he or she has been hired as a lobbyist.

Egotistus Intelligentus: This disease manifests itself in two disparate groups within the elected population.  Egotistus Intelligentus-A:  The first group is that of elected officials who have been in office for more than eight years.  This group suddenly decides they know everything and more than the voters who elected them and that they no longer need to consult the electorate.  Egotistus Intelligentus-B:  The second group are those fringe progressives or fringe conservatives who are convinced that they are more intelligent than anyone in the voting public.  This second group uses their elected positions as a “bully pulpit” and are more interested in advocating causes than in representing those who elected them.

Missionistus Creepus: This is an insidious disease that can afflict both progressive and conservative officials.  It is characterized by the official repeatedly asking, “What more can we do for you?”  Another symptom is that of repeating the mantra, “If we don’t spend it all this year, our budget will be cut next year.”  The disease becomes very apparent when comparing budgets in five year increments.  It tends to be seen more in our national and state capitals than in the counties and cities.

Vistus obstinatus:  Generally manifested early in one’s first term, this disease is characterized by a stubborn adherence to a theoretical position, rather than the majority position advocated by the voters.  This illness is related to the Egotistus Intelligentus, but differs because of its faith in one set of political principles, rather than one’s own intelligence.