You said that promises are slippery and cannot be enforced. But why do you think so? Why people are attached to the idea that promises cannot be enforced? Promises are given to be kept. If not, then it's just words. How we can vote and choose if we have no guarantees.

For example, we have contracts and agreements in our financial sector. Also, we have antimonopoly service which control too ambitious ans unfair business. Why we don't have such thing in politics? Let the pre-election promise to be such an official agreement which have strict and explicit wording, just like business contracts - without vagueness. 

Your statement about the democracy is strong. As I recall correctly, you mean that the system is built in a fashion, that any promise cannot be kept, because of system's complexity. But then... Is it a real democracy? And do people need such a democracy, when even people in power cannot make a shift?

 Concerning Jimmy Carter 's promise. Let's confess, it couldn't be enforced. When all countries were working on a nuclear energy, the president of the USA couldn't tolerate his country to fall behind. 

That's why we need pre-election promises to be formulated in a clear way and to be documented, so every court can call to account those who didn't hold them.

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Jorry, stll the are questions and doubts, so I cannot share your views. 

If a candidate knows that there are no regulations then he/she will continue to break the promises. Still, there are special situations when promises cannot be kept, but then it shoul be listed in some force majeure conditions to the promises.

If public likes candidates' promises and support it with votes, and he/she wins, then it means that the changes, described as pre-election promises, are necessary. Though they may violate the law of the current government.