POS 2041 Lecture Notes - Jacksonian Democracy, Original Intent, Robert A. Dahl
9 Mar 2014
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Document Summary
Positive functions of parties: organize and contest elections, organize and run government, help voters decide. Negative functions of parties: confuse responsibility for public policy, deliberately sabotage attempts to govern by the other party, makes voters more cynical. Jacksonian democracy: civil war and reconstruction, new deal party system, divided government. Voters shift loyalties based on big issues that arise. (realignments- move to a new era: realignments bring: new party in power. Parties rising or declining: evidence for decline compare to before the progressive era, pre-1880s, evidence for resurgence starting in 1960s, parties take on new roles. Organization or association of people with common interests. Positive vision: 1st amendment protection, supreme court has to uphold rights of groups to form. Negative vision: federalist #10, today- argument that interest groups exert undue and harmful influence in american politics. Reasons groups form: economic, social, technological changes, different incentives groups use to attract members. Incentives to join groups: solidary, material, purposive.
