POLS 101 Midterm Questions with 100% Correct Answers | Latest Version 2024 | Expert Verified | Ace the Test

In a democracy, do institutions matter? When a majority agrees on a course of action, do the political institutions really affect the majority's ability to achieve its goals? Institutions are important because of their durability and "stickiness." Institutions slow the progress of change and prevent tyrannical majorities. In the example of marijuana legalization, many people may want it, but the supremacy clause (the institution) prevents it from being federally legal. "The quality of democracy in modern America reflects the quality of its governing institutions." Are politicians the servants of the public, as they say in their campaign ads, or are they just selfserving? Why do we need them? The US political system allows for politicians to be motivated by self-interest (privileged group), the interests of a faction (lobby group), the interests of the public, or a combination of the above. We need politicians to solve the collective action problems associated with government. The constitution has not changed much over the past 200 years. Were the framers really geniuses, or are Americans simply lucky? Thomas Jefferson wanted the Constitution to be rewritten every 19 years. While Americans are certainly lucky, the framers of the Constitution