How was the US political system originally expected to work? Why does the system today often not work as planned? Should government be reformed to accommodate a wider range of interests? Have partisan polarization and the growth of presidential power fundamentally changed the rules of the game? Republic at Risk considers these questions in a concise and engaging introductory text for courses on American government. The guiding analytical 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 Papers 10 and 51. Madison believed that unchecked self-interest in politics was a risk to governance and the preservation of a 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.

Book Information
ISBN 9781108487757
Author Walter J. Stone
Format Hardback
Page Count 310
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press