That is so true. I live in the DC Metro area. If I never left here, I’d be totally clueless about the economic suffering throughout most of the country. DC is the very picture of prosperity. It keeps growing. The skyline is filled with construction cranes. Shopping center parking lots are full, as are most of the stores. There are signs of economic trouble, but mostly concealed.
The elites, most of them, never see flyover country. They fly from NY/DC to LA/SF, all pretty prosperous. In between there are pockets of affluence, but mostly economic hardship.
If it were up to me, every decision-making person in government, academe, show business, and the media would be banished to Appalachia for a few years.
I've been saying for year, the way to fix this system is to separate it from Washington. Make each Rep and each Senator remain in their districts instead of going to Washington D.C., and force them to "telecommute" when the nation's business needs to be done.
Making them stay in their own states and districts evaporates a lot of potential for corruption and behind the scenes collusion.
If they can't deal swap in private, they have to make their decisions based on the public arguments. Lobbying them covertly becomes incredibly difficult. It's a lot easier for lobbyists to work their influence when people are gathered together than it would be if they had to move through 535 districts to do it.
Make the Reps and Senators stay in their districts and you would be surprised at how much more effectively the government would represent the interests of the people. Plus the people could more easily keep an eye on them and their doings.