Interest Groups and Democracy

The post has two asighnmets

1:Interest Groups and Democracy

1. Some observers believe that interest groups in the United States are slowly eroding democracy—that is, that most groups are interested only in personal gain, not the national interest. Countries such as Japan and Germany have very few interest groups and are thus able to make decisions more quickly with a view toward the public interest. What are some arguments in favor of our Pluralist (interest group–driven) type of government? On the other hand, what are some ways that interest groups impede democracy? Which system would you prefer: one with many groups or one with few? 2. James Madison asserted that in a free society the clash among competing interests, each pursuing selfish goals, would result in policies that served the common good. Is free competition among competing interests actually the best way to promote the common good? Is such free competition typical in the United States today? ONE PAGE EACH QUESTION

2: Religion in America Synthesis

Order Description The objective of this paper is to synthesize course material (including the forum "Religion and Politics in the Age of Trump") with the book Canaan Land: A Religious History of African Americans by Albert J. Raboteau. Note: This is not a summary or critical analysis of Canaan Land, but rather a synthesis of Raboteau's arguements in discourse with the lectures and courses discussion. Details: 3-5 page paper submitted in either .doc or .pdf format. Double-spaced, 1" Margins, Times New Roman Font. Use Citations! Do not plagiarize.