This is sometimes the case here in Germany, and one reason we do it is because our representatives are explicitly, by the basic law bound only to their own conscience.

Representatives toeing party lines is seen as an impoverishment to democracy.

Representatives being able to conceal their legislative actions from the constituents that put them there is an impoverishment to democracy.

Not really unless you think of democracy only as a glorified strawpoll. Inherent in the free mandate that representatives here have is the idea that they can and should exercise their own judgement independently. Sometimes this may even be against their constituents (or anyone else) so a degree of secrecy is important. In legislative in general to make independent decisions.

Excess transparency means representatives will pander only for votes/money/attention, it's for example why every televised American congressional session makes you lose braincells. Because they're only talking to the TV, they're not actually deliberating.

>Excess transparency means representatives will pander only for votes

That's how democracy works. Pandering for votes and then acting on behalf of your voters interests is kind of the point.

Im honestly kind of shocked to be reading this on HN in 2022. This is the kind of thing monarchists said in 1684.

>money

Legislative secrecy is a great way of letting money corrupt democracy since it eliminates the feedback loop between the legislator acting on behalf of monied interests and being democratically punished for it at the next election.

> Sometimes this may even be against their constituents (or anyone else) so a degree of secrecy is important.

Important to whom, other than themselves in the next election?

Then the question becomes: are we the DDs more like MPs or more like citizens? I'd say we're more like the latter. MPs work for the citizens, and therefore their work must be open to scrutiny. Secret votes of citizens, however, is the norm.

(Full disclosure: In spite of what I wrote above, I did vote NOTA above all other options. I am not confident that I'm ready to change the status quo.)

A lot of countries do that at least in certain special cases.

Germany does on some votes.