> who answer to the people regularly and reflect their opinion Really? In a huge number of legislative districts in my country, only one party is competitive,

> who answer to the people regularly and reflect their opinion Really? In a huge number of legislative districts in my country, only one party is competitive, and there is little organized intraparty effort to mount a challenge at the primary stage. The judiciary is an antimajoritarian institution. There are times when what the majority wants isn't a good thing, and also times when what it wants isn't implemented by the legislature. Also, plenty of judges aren't dipshits. Plenty of legislators are. Point is: arguing from the first principles of political structure isn't terribly convincing since political reality doesn't actually match those principles.