Madison's Dilemma
What was Madison's Dilemma and what was his solution to it?
James Madison's dilemma primarily hinges on the idea that "men are not angels," that if the contrary was true, then no form of government would be needed. However, because men are truly not angels, government is a necessary system. This brings about a dilemma to Madison, who views this roundabout thinking as a paradox: even with government, how does one prevent man from his non-angelic, corrupt behaviors? What separates government from the common man? Madison's solution, then, is a separation of powers, a "checks and balances" system in the judicial, legislative, and executive branch. In this manner, each branch limits powers of the other branches, and can also resist major influences within the separate branches.
What is the process of incorporation and what is its constitutional basis?
The incorporation doctrine -- or the "incorporation of the Bill of Rights" -- provided the ability to apply the Bill of Rights to the governments founded locally and stately. Before the 1890s, the Bill of Rights applied exclusively to the federal government. The case of Barron v. Baltimore in 1833 maintained that the Bill of Rights was only applied to the federal government and not applicable to state government. With the
Why do Congressional incumbents usually win reelection even though polls consistently show that people don't like Congress?
Congressional incumbents usually maintain an advantage when it comes to re-election. This makes them harder to unseat, barring large scandals or major controversies. This can be due to the fact that incumbents are more widely-known and people recognize them much more so than the unknown challengers. Already this gives them a leg up in the competition. Furthermore, Congressional incumbents have already gained a substantial amount of experience, media coverage, and privileges from his or her previous appointment. Not to mention the incumbent also brought about a decent amount of federal funding for re-election.
4. Name two barriers to a third party electing someone…
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