Taxation Without Representation?

For some reason I woke up this morning thinking about the US midterm elections earlier this month.  I myself, to paraphrase one of the greatest writers of all time, don't vote, so I can claim the system doesn't represent me, and thus justify my further lack of participation.  Watterson's intention was sarcastic, but unfortunately for someone of my political leanings, not voting is more of a protest against the lack of an acceptable candidate than it is apathy.  But many of my fellow American's do vote, and I guess what worries me is the general lack of knowledge about policy decisions past that most of us share.
 
I am not suggesting that the American system has degraded to the point of having taxes cripple us financially so our government can go off and slaughter Huguenots; without asking if any of us really care if the Huguenots are gaining numbers in the south west provinces am I?...Am I?

But I do wonder, in a system where a vast majority of the voting public votes for a party line and knows little to nothing about the policy record of individual candidates, how often do elected officials stray from their party lines? 

More importantly, how often do political actions taken represent the desires of those who elected the official?  "Almost never?"  Yea that's my guess too.   Outside of local politics, where I still see some hope,  we are ruled by a wealthy elite....taxation without representation? yes and no, Policy decisions without representation, yes, profoundly yes.