Alice: In democracies, politicians garner support by emphasizing the differences between their opponents and themselves  Because they must rule in accord with their rhetoric, policies in democracies fluctuate wildly as one party succeeds another
Elwell: But despite election rhetoric, to put together majority coalitions in democracies, politicians usually end up softening their stands on individual issues once they are elected
basic policies change drastically when one party succeeds another in a democracy