Question Set #3

Please respond to five of the six short response questions posted below.

1. A) What are principal agent dilemmas, and how do they help us explain the challenges government officials face when they delegate power to the bureaucracy?  B) Provide an example of a principal agent dilemma in government [feel free to discuss the behavior of street level bureaucrats OR the challenges Congress faces when delegating power to executive agencies (the bureaucracy). C) Explain how government solves (or mitigates) this principal agent dilemma?

2. A) How do judges decide cases? Highlight several types of factors that contribute to their rulings. B) Why are the courts often considered the weakest branch? Why might this be wrong? (C) In recent years some have raised concerns that the Supreme Court has become politicized and partisan. Is this a problem for the Court’s legitimacy?  Why or why not?  (D)What reforms to the tenure, nomination, or organization of the Court [if any] could help reduce perceptions of partisanship?

3. Drawing from lectures and the readings, identify the important benefits and drawbacks of interest group participation in American politics. A) why do some argue that interest groups are beneficial to American lawmaking?  B) What are the key concerns about interest group influence in elections and lawmaking. C) In your view, is such interest group influence a problem for American democracy? Why? (D) What could be done to reduce interest group influence in our politics?

4. A) Where does public opinion come from? B) How do voters form political preferences and make political decisions when voting? C) In your view, what does this say about the ability of the American voter to participate and make an informed choice as a citizen?

5. A) What types of factors explain an individual voter’s probability of turning out to vote? B) What could be done to increase voter turnout? C) Turnout was exceptionally high in the November 2020 election — given the factors above, why was this? D) Following the 2020 election, a number of states have proposed or enacted stricter voting laws(Links to an external site.). What impact will these reforms have on voter turnout?  Why?  (Feel free to focus on a specific reform it from the provided link like limits on vote by mail or tightening Voter ID requirements if it helps).

6. A) What factors influence how the media covers political issues? B) How do these standards influence the way the public thinks about policy problems, political events, and electoral contests? C) What could the media do to improve how Americans think about such important political problems?  

Question Set #3 Answer

1. Principal agent dilemmas occur because of goal incongruence and information asymmetries. More often than not, the principal (buyer of goods) and the agent (provider of goods and services) have different goals. Information asymmetry is a problem because the agent holds advantage in information as the principal delegates the tasks. When government officials delegate power to the bureaucracy, they face challenges about conflicting goals and lack of information transparency or uncertainty.