Divided we govern 1. When Mayhew speaks of a divided government, he means that the 2 parties that

Generally speaking, anyone who lives in the United States of America knows that there are two main political parties—the Republicans and the Democrats. Having two main parties has its advantages and, of course, its disadvantages. For example, in By the People James E. Monroe and Rogan Kersh (301) point out having this type of system creates “predictability and stability.” However, they also declare (301) it can “lead to a gridlock.” This is not a new concept either as there has been a divide since the beginning of both parties. The two parties more often than not disagree on various issues, while rarely agreeing on what is best for the country.

Political Interest groups have become one of society’s main sources when it comes to standing for our people and being able to get the word out on our interest and well-being. Not only is this a way for government officials to help bring awareness to their campaigns but it’s also an outlet for major concerns in today’s world. Either way you would like to look at the word “Interest Group”, it is

Interest groups are associations of individuals who shared knowledge, status, or common goals, who work together to influence what the government does. There are a few factors that can make an interest group more successful then others.

Interest groups create a great deal of controversy today. While many scholars see the competition between interest groups as a fundamental component of a healthy democracy, some, including myself, view them as troublemakers who generate many of the problems and controversies our nation faces today. Despite the fact that interest groups allow the general public to express their ideas and thoughts on political issues, the Anti-Federalists were correct to conclude that the competition between interest groups will make successful government impossible.

Ever since there was a governing body, organized groups of people tried to influence it for their benefit. James Maddison called them “factions” and concluded they are the natural consequence of liberty, but that their influence should be limited. Organized groups of people working to promote their interests and their points of view on important socio-economic issues are today referred to as interest groups or lobbies.

Hello, Mr. Blackwell. I also found in my research that Martin Diamond, James Madison and David Truman all agreed that interest groups will transpire and belong in government affairs. However, it is quite intriguing how all men agreed that while Interest groups could have a negative effect in government, there was still a need for the groups. For instance, in the Federalist Papers, Madison says “no man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and. Not improbably, corrupt his integrity” (Hamilton et al., 1999). This belief by Madison sort of contradicts the fact that he is in favor of interest groups because an interest groups are composed of individuals who all have their personal agenda.

Interest groups consists of individuals who share a common political goal and are united for the purpose of influencing government decisions to make up an organization. According to Walker (1983), “Interest Groups exert influence over legislators, bureaucrats, and the public” (p. 390). The goals of these groups are the represent the publics interest on certain topics. Interest groups survive off the common goals of the people and strive to represent their interest in way that will benefit the country and demonstrate the state American pluralism is in.

Interest groups once called Pressure groups, are a group of people that are held together through a common single interest. They come together in order to promote their interest and influence the government. Their interests usually revolve around education, safety, agriculture, and the economy. Groups of such kind are mentioned in the constitution, however, they do tend to be chaotic. Interest groups are not meant to last they are only temporary. Once their main interest is

Interest group can be defined as the organized group which tries to influence the government to adopt certain policies or measures. They are also called as the pressure group. As by the texastribune.org it defines the lobbyists as the sales person hired to persuade and influence the law maker in the legislature.

Interest groups involve a multitude of people who share a common interest in order to make an influence on the government’s decisions. Particularly, interest groups are separated into economic and noneconomic groups, these economic groups search for an economic benefit to its members in hope of receiving private goods and sending political influence. Regarding economic groups, business groups either work for organizations for the same industry or a specific organization, these groups seek tax cuts and pro-business benefits. Often, these business groups are well funded and have an enormous influence on government policies. Notably, labor groups work towards better working conditions and wages for all workers. On the other hand, non economic groups such as agricultural and professional associations have unique purposes. For instance, agricultural groups combat price fluctuations as they continue to rise; contrastingly, professional groups create a base for occupations by promoting ethical conduct fixing unjust laws.

A country’s basic regime characteristics are a major factor in government decision-making. It can take different forms such as cabinet, prime ministerial, and ministerial government under parliamentary. Presidential systems focus on the strengthening of the chief executive. The chief executive is directly elected by the people and enjoys a fixed term of office. In a presidential system, the head of state is identical to the head of government. In addition, the president cannot alternate the legislature, but they can appoint government members with the consent of the legislature. The electoral connection makes a government democratic and the political parties play an important role in structuring elections. A presidential system tends to have a party government. Voters in the US have to choose between a republican, democratic, or an independent party. Party government means that government actions are influenced by the values and policies from the government party/parties. Empirical studies show that parties have little impact on government. Instead, once a party is diffused into government, occasionally the party becomes dependent on the government. On the contrary, it can also be claimed that party governments control the government

Interest Groups and Political Parties were two main topics that were covered in chapter 7. Before reading this chapter I already had some understanding about interest groups, but I did not know the formal definition. The book describes interest groups as associations of people who hold common views and who work together to influence what government does. Those that are involve interest groups want to be in a position, benefit, or advantage. Which allows for an opportunity to protect or to promote their interests.

Political Science 113 Prof. Laremont Ronald Summers The political systems of today's world vary tremendously as you span the world. Each of these systems has gone through an evolution based on mistakes of the past and the needs of a stable and equal government. Most nations throughout the world observe political means through either Unitary or Federal legislation. The Federal government of Mexico and the unitary government of France are perfect examples of the differences and similarities of unicameral and bicameral legislature. When looking at the political systems we must first understand the ideologies behind it. The main ideology that has help to define the French political system is that of bicameral legislation. In bicameral

Issues that once sharply divided parties have now thinned on two levels. The first is the reduction of intense ideological polarization like anti-system parties, which threatened the principles of democracy. These parties have either gone wawa or moderated to be more acceptable, allowing for party alignment and partnership. Now the only options in voting are democratic. The second level of change occurred to politics that was in the mainstream. There is now a “dramatic policy see-saw” (50) in which newly elected leaders work hard at dismantling changes their predecessor set. Instead of the politics of party, the politics of depolarization has taken over, meaning decision making is passed to

Since the origins of the first constitutional convention calling for the alteration of the constitution, through our American history we have seen the rise of the two party system. Initially however not officially through the opposition of the ratification of the new constitution, we saw the first true political “schism” in the debate of the constitution’s ratification. Creating the birth of Federalist and Anti-Federalist movement. With the simple contrasting beliefs such as the opposition to a strong centralized government (Anti-Federalists) came the growth of those others which we still fight for or against today. However we can call such divisions within our history the baby steps onto to what would become a "natural" phenomena of the two party system. While not during Washington’s first election but not limited to his re-election, within the sidelines of his presidency some tension between Jefferson and Hamilton began to arise. The beginning of the “butting heads” of Federalists v. Republicans and leading to the eventually unfolding what would be the Republicans v. Democrats. Through the power placed within America’s traditional two party system, unlike many countries they are able to keep the equilibrium or a control of their political peoples and voters to be better able to transact new policies and reforms while still keeping each other at a check.