Everyone is motivated by remuneration to some degree - the only question is who is remunerating our government officials: the public, or some other party with i

Everyone is motivated by remuneration to some degree - the only question is who is remunerating our government officials: the public, or some other party with its own interests? In the US, we've chosen the private sector to remunerate our officials after they've left public service, and our lovely government is the result. Keep in mind that, as a public official earning top wages (~$150k/year) in DC, you can just afford to buy the median home in the area. But if you want a nice house (single-family) in a good neighborhood? Forget it! Whereas if you took your skills to the private sector, finding a place to raise your family would not be a major concern.