Lobbyists Discussion

Please respond to the following discussion topic and submit them to the discussion forum as a single post. Your initial post should be 75-150 words in length. Then, make at least two thoughtful responses to your fellow students’ posts.

1.Lobbyists

About half of the paid lobbyists in Washington are former government staff members or former members of Congress. Why would interest groups employ such people? Why might some reformers want to limit the ability of interest groups to employ them? On what basis might an interest group argue that such limits are unconstitutional?

2.Can Early Primary Elections Be A Problem?

Many observers believe that holding so many presidential primary elections at such an early point is a serious problem. How strong is this argument? Can contributions be seen as a form of protected expression? Under what circumstances can contributions be seen instead as a method of bribing elected officials?

3.Blocking Actions

Under President Clinton, President George W. Bush, and under President Obama, members of the opposition party in the Senate often blocked the president’s nominations to district and circuit courts. Under what circumstances are such blocking actions a legitimate exercise of the Senate’s power? Under what circumstances can they rightly be described as inappropriate political maneuvers?

4.Paradox

Consider the paradox described at the beginning of our textbook reading this week. The public believes strongly in small government but endorses almost all the activities that government actually performs. Why do you think Americans hold such contradictory beliefs?

5.Federal Funding of Education

Just how serious an offense should illegal immigration be? Construct arguments in favor of considering it a felony and arguments for viewing it as a mere civil infraction. Consider the current national discussion to help shape your position.