Discuss interest-group liberalism and indicate how Madison's constitutional solution for controlling groups has itself become part of the problem in American politics.
What will be an ideal response?
Interest-group liberalism holds that there is no concept of society's collective interest in a policy system that enables special interests to determine for themselves which policy benefits they receive. Regardless of how many interests are served by the system, the public interest is not served, because each policy decision is the result not of majority rule but of minority or special-interest rule. Madison's constitutional solution to the problem of special interests was to separate powers in government and create checks and balances so no one faction could dominate government. In practice, this fragmentation of political power allows interest groups, even single-issue groups, to access the government at many levels and exert an undue influence on policy.
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What do you suppose the framers would have thought of the idea of abolishing the Electoral College?
What will be an ideal response?
Why do economic structuralists believe states collaborate?
a. In order to increase the wealth of the world's proletariat b. Because states want to divide up the spoils after major wars c. In order to continue to exploit the world's poor d. Because international organizations facilitate cooperation.
What is one drawback of longitudinal studies?
a) They assess changes in subjects over time. b) The subjects act as their own controls. c) They can have a high mortality rate. d) The researcher does not manipulate any variables.
Which of the following did the early Supreme Court generally do under Chief Justice John Marshall?
A. It preserved states’ rights. B. It lessened trade powers between the states. C. It issued conflicting decisions about the balance between national and state power. D. It remained silent about federalism issues. E. It increased national power.