Mid-term Qs

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Apr 3, 2024

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1) (a) What does Mounk mean when he says that ever more areas of policy have been taken out of democratic contestation, and (b) what is the consequence of this? (Word limit: 75 words; 1 mark for part (a) and 1 for part (b)). Mounk is trying to say that because of the rise in international treaties and organizations, it would be unfair to undermine the impact on the nature of domestic politics. Since the inclusion of these policies, the political decision has deteriorated by international treaties or delegated to international bodies. Undemocratic liberalism can consist of lots of benefits, but it does not change the fact of what people have to say about these policies. 2) (a) In which way are the citizens of the U.S. “excluded” from a share of government, and (b) how did the “Founding Fathers” of the U.S. Constitution justify this exclusion? (Word limit: 75 words; 1 mark for part (a) and 2 for part (b)). “Founding Fathers set up a republic that sought to exclude the people, in their collective capacity, from any share in the government” (Mounk 2019, p.70). The nine unelected judges can “overrule the will of people whenever it came into conflict with the preservation of individual rights” (Mounk 2019, p.70). Supreme Court had to step in every time when Americans are unwilling to grant the rights that they may claim for themselves and can be mistreated minority. 3) In the context of government bureaucracies or agencies, explain the “trade-off” (Mounk 2019, p. 66) between implementing the will of the people and tackling complex political problems. (Word limit: 200 words; 4 marks). When people of the country elect legislators, they are willing to turn their will into laws. Bureaucrats play an important role in serving people’s will. But it has not been an easy task for Bureaucrats to serve everyone’s will. The increase in size of national bureaucrats goes to show how “Government agencies have become increasingly influential in the design of laws passed by parliaments” and “at the same time, they have increasingly taken on the role of quasi-legislators, gaining the authority to design and implement broad rules in key areas like financial or environmental regulation” (Mounk 2019, p.66). On the other hand, independent agencies have successfully accomplished their name in when it comes to the will of the people and tackling complex political problems. “By and large, I believe that the decisions of the FCC and the SEC, of the EPA and the CFPB have made the United States a better place. And yet, there is a real trade- off between respect for the popular will and the ability to solve complicated policy problems” (Mounk 2019, p.66). 4) (a) What was the aim of the McCain-Feingold Act (2002) in the United States and (b) explain the reasoning of the United States' Supreme Court which led to the overturning of the Act (word limit: 125 words; 2 marks for part (a), 1 for part (b)). The aim for McCain-Feingold Act, “Justice Kennedy wrote, violated the free speech rights of Citizens United. Corporations and political action groups would be allowed to spend as much money as they choose on supporting one candidate or attacking another. Though some limits on direct contributions to candidates remain in place, the court’s decision essentially opened the floodgates to private interests” (Mounk 2019, p.82). After hundreds of books and articles written about Citizens United , it had corrosive effect of having or not having American democracy. Important decisions have gone unnoticed due to different form of undemocratic liberalism. “The expanded role of judicial review takes important decisions out of the political process; a bench of unelected judges could overturn a law passed by the representatives of the people” (Mounk 2019, p.83).
5) (a) How do international trade agreements remove policy decisions from the control of national democratic control? (b) Name two examples of such policy areas. (word limit: 100; 2 marks for part (a), 1 for part (b)).
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