"What's in it for ME?"

No one likes to hear it, but our selfish, transactional, solely self-interested politicians are a reflection of our values. A bunch of temporarily embarrassed millionaires dreaming about their turn to live large and punch down don't make for much of a society.

This is what America values in practice:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/18/the-wealthiest-10percent-of-americans-own-a-record-89percent-of-all-us-stocks.html