POL 351 Lecture 1: Political Parties Notes
16 Jun 2016
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Faction=a group united in pursuit of a goal that is adverse to rights of other interests or general interests of society. Two ways to limit damage that"s caused by factions: 1)remove causes make everyone the same (totalitarian society) remove liberty altogether curedemocracy, large republic>small larger talent pool, more voters (cleaner elections), more diverse society (no majority factions) Aldrich focuses on behavior of political elites candidates and legislators. Assume they seek to maximize utility (getting reelected and obtaining their polity goals) Show how atomistic self-interested behavior can be problematic so cooperation would be better for a critical number of politicians. Benefits are only realized if actors choose a common system. Example: driving on the right side of the road. What movie: both better off if they go to the same movie, versus going to what they actually want.
