Republic at Risk
An Introduction to American Politics| By: | Walter J. Stone; James A. McCann |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Print ISBN: | 9781108487757 |
| eText ISBN: | 9781108849111 |
| Edition: | 2 |
| Format: | Page Fidelity |
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When people have the freedom to further their own personal interests in politics, the results may be disastrous. Chaos? Tyranny? Can a political system be set up to avoid these pitfalls, while still granting citizens and politicians the freedom to pursue their interests? Republic at Risk is a concise and engaging introduction to American politics. The guiding theme is the problem of self-interest in politics, which James Madison took as his starting point in his defense of representative government in Federalist 10 and 51. Madison believed that unchecked self-interest in politics was a risk to a well-ordered and free society. But he also held that political institutions could be designed to harness self-interest for the greater good. Putting Madison's theory to the test, the authors examine modern challenges to the integrity and effectiveness of US policy-making institutions, inviting readers to determine how best to respond to these risks.