POL SCI 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Environmentalism, Robert A. Dahl, Free Rider Problem
Document Summary
Two challenges: class bias (elitism, free rider problem. Pluralism: grievances are recognized and acted upon, there are many points of access in the political system, political resources are diverse and non-cumulative. The old pluralism (robert dahl: interest groups, not voters, are central to responsive government, institutional fragmentation encourages proliferation of cross-cutting interest groups, fragmentation also multiplies points of access, influence is broadly (but not equally) distributed. Yes: faction: a number of citizens united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of others, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community. - james madison, federalist #10: cure minority faction via free elections, limit chance of majority faction through extended republic (and checks and balances, separation of powers, federalism). The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with an upper class accent. e. e.
