Essay Questions

Question 1

1. Name two ways that interest groups can help democracy and also name two ways that it can
harm democracy (10 points). Explain the pluralist and elite theories (5 points).
Provide two concrete examples of elite interest groups (5 points). Are all interest groups the same? If not, what are the main differences between public and private interest groups
in terms of who benefits and the free rider problem (5 points).

Answer 1

1)
-Help Democracy:
Require Public Support (most of the time)

Everyone can join a public interest group, so everyone can be involved in some way in the government

Free rider: benefits for all members that join a group (more willing to become involved)

-Hurt Democracy:
Money can change policy and elect officials instead of the people. Buying votes occurs as Super PAC’s have become a regular thing in elections

Free rider problem: people gaining from something they didn't typically contribute to

Private interest groups are only open to certain people that meet requirements
2)
Elite: Interest groups are dominated by the wealthy and better educated
Pluralist: more positive view; every interest group has an equal chance in system (James Madison supports this)(competition is better)
3) Elite interest groups include *Freedom Works (no new taxes, Lowering taxes on the rich)
non partisan group the National Association for Self-Employed
Others include National Restaurant Association and National Retail Federation
4) all interest groups are different as they all have different resources and causes. In public, everyone can benefit and this means there is a free rider problem of people making gains because they are a part of a group despite doing nothing. Private has the same problem as those who meet certain requirements are the only ones to benefit.

Question 2

2. What is the importance of the media to democracy? (5 points) How does the mass media affect public opinion and government policy? (10 points) How does the conglomeration of the media affect the way that the information is being presented? Why? (10 points)

Answer 2

1) Media allows everyone to become politically informed. The importance of the media is to be a check on the government by exposing fraud and doing investigations.
2) all media is biased so it unfortunately means that public opinion can be turned in directions because of how a media told a story. The mass media though can inform the public about the dangers/benefits of government policy. This contributes to watchdog role.
3) almost all news networks are owned by major corporations which means there could be corporate interests in the news being presented. Money causes this competition between media outlets which means outlets are more willing to cater to certain political views. Certain information could therefore be withheld or emphasized.