Elite democracy is unsustainable in a country where economic polarization keeps on increasing, while more and more families remain poor from generation to generation. The result has been described as a “social volcano” whose eruption has been delayed partly by the escape provided by overseas or migrant work. Thus, without democratizing the system, it is unlikely for democracy itself to survive for long.

Democratization beyond elite democracy requires: (a) reforms in the electoral system to equalize opportunity to elective office and (b) a critical mass of elective officials who will formulate, champion , and manage the reforms. For the critical mass to be formed, reform-oriented citizens – especially young professionals – have to overcome their distaste for and cynicism about electoral politics, plan and train ahead of time for the campaign, dare to run, and work hard to win.

The reform-minded challenger can possibly offset the usual advantage, specifically superior logistics, of the traditional or dynastic politician by being superior in other ways. This could include being more systematic, efficient, and innovative in preparing for and managing the electoral campaign and the guarding of the votes. A systematic preparation of the challenger has to include sufficient immersion in and adequate appreciation of the culture and everyday life of ordinary voters, for the patronage system of the traditional politician has been built and maintained on the basis of some deep values of popular culture.

“Those who would like to challenge the deeply entrenched patrons of everyday life must also learn to participate in the lives of ordinary people,” says philosopher Rainier Ibana, who primarily refers to civil society organizations that try to “address structural and global issues that are at the root of social problems” like pervasive poverty across generations. (33) But what Ibana says is also applicable to any middle-class professional who is willing to run on a pro-poor platform but has a shallow understanding of the world oft eh masses and has nobody among the poor with whom he or she has become a close friend. Without befriending the poor, members of other social classes cannot really know how they feel and think, and how to win their hearts and minds. Thus, Rocamora says, “proponents of alternative politics who do not take seriously how people think about politics do so at the risk of being in turn disregarded by the very people they would serve.”

Those who want “real social transformation” through democratic means hope that elections will bring to office enough reformers “who can invigorate the State to enable it to conquer the powerful social forces that prey on the misery of the weak and prevent more equitable development,” says constitutionalist Joaquin Bernas, S.J.

To win the hearts and minds of ordinary voters, reformers ought to treat them neither as puppets moved by external forces like guns, goons, and gold, nor as mere unsuspecting dupes and victims of a flawed political system and its traditional politicians.

Denis T. Gonzalez, Ph.D. is the project director of "How to Win an Election" and former director of the Center for Social Policy of the Ateneo School of Government (ASG). He is also the Chairman of the National Book Development Board. He has a doctorate in Theology from the Catholic University of Louvain (KUL), Belgium, and teaches Public Sector Ethics and Business Ethics at the ASG and the Graduate School of Business