The text asks: "Does gridlock matter?" Summarize the discussion on this topic.
What will be an ideal response?
Americans say they do not like divided government, but this sentiment is not reflected in their voting behavior-government is often divided. Scholars suggest, however, that divided government seems to do just fine when it comes to passing important laws, conducting important investigations, and ratifying significant treaties. In addition, "unified" government may be something of a myth, really only present when the same party and the same ideological wing of that party controls government (1933, Roosevelt; 1965, Johnson). Gridlock might be a necessary byproduct of representative government.
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This Greek philosopher was Plato's student and authored Politics
a. Aristotle b. Socrates c. Homer d. Pythagoras e. None of the above
John Locke believed in the concept of tabula rasa. What does tabula rasa mean?
a. People are born with a belief in God. b. People are born with a blank slate and can only know what they learn from their experiences. c. People are born with a desire to exploit others. d. People are born to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. e. None of the above.
Which of the following institutions controls agency budgets?
A. agency heads B. federal courts C. Congress D. president
The writers of the Constitution devised the Electoral College as the method of choosing presidents because
A. the framers had a great deal of faith in the wisdom of the masses. B. that method would give weight to the preferences of ordinary people. C. direct election was impractical, due to the poor systems of communication and transportation that existed in the late 1700s. D. that method guaranteed a majority winner. E. that method would shield executive power from direct linkage to popular majorities.