Republic at Risk

When people have the freedom to further their own personal interests in politics the results may be disastrous. Chaos? Tyranny? Can a political system be set up to avoid these pitfalls while still granting citizens and politicians the freedom to pursue their interests? Republic at Risk is a concise and engaging introduction to American politics. The guiding theme is the problem of self-interest in politics which James Madison took as his starting point in his defense of representative government in Federalist 10 and 51. Madison believed that unchecked self-interest in politics was a risk to a well-ordered and free society. But he also held that political institutions could be designed to harness self-interest for the greater good. Putting Madison''s theory to the test the authors examine modern challenges to the integrity and effectiveness of US policy-making institutions inviting readers to determine how best to respond to these risks.