Warm Up #1
• Explain what James Madison meant in Federalist 10
when he discussed factions. Explain why he feared
factions and how he expected the Constitution would
help control the evils of faction.
• Then, account for the rise of political parties after the
Constitution went into effect. Are political parties
different from factions?
• In what ways is Madison a contradictory figure given his
own involvement in the Republican party?
Warm Up #1
• Is there a fundamental tension between
Madison’s view in Federalist 10 and the
growth of interest groups in recent years?
Or, does the proliferation of interest
groups support his fundamental pluralist
view? Explain in detail your assessment.
– Use the Berry essay (Woll #41) to support
your claim.
Warm Up #2
• What role should interest groups play in
elections? How might interest groups be
problematic when it comes to campaigns,
donations and their influence?
– In thinking about your answer, recall what
we’ve read in Federalist #10, Woll #41 and
your buzz post for this week.
Warm Up #3
• Describe the pros and cons of interest
group involvement in elections and
campaign donations. Use the article we
read in class as evidence to help support
your ideas.
• What should be the proper role of a
lobbyist in a democracy? What are the
problems lobbyists may cause in our
democracy?
Warm Up #4
• Read and anotate the Christian Science Monitor
Article Campaign Financing Machine Cranks Up
for Mid-term Elections.
• Why does Sabato (Woll #44) believe the
obsession with PACs is misplaced? What
should be the role of interest groups in election
campaign spending? Defend your position with
evidence from the article and NPR segment.
Election Discussion
• Update/Impressions from Linda, Jay and
Josie
• To what degree did the mid-term results
confirm what we’ve read about mid-term
elections (turnout, incumbency advantage,
etc.) and to what degree was it an
anomaly?
• Your thoughts on the election…?
Cool Down #5
• Assess the validity of the following claim:
Political parties legitimize government
policies by connecting citizens to
government.
• In what ways does America’s two-party
system promote or thwart America’s
constitutional principles?
Ted Koppel Cool Down
Questions to consider:
1. According to Koppel, how has news and the news
industry changed and what accounts for this change?
2. What is Koppel’s criticism and concern presented in
this op-ed piece?
3. What is your overall reaction to this piece? How do
you feel about the points Koppel raises?