Question

1. Many states have mandatory use of masks when outside and when one is not being able to practice social distancing guidelines yet the federal government just recently got on board with this requirement. In your opinion, why do you think this is the case?

2.
Another big argument by critics about special interest groups is that their system can really be effective only for economic reasons. It is also believed that these groups would ignore the interests of the poor in favor of the middle and upper-class, who have more money and time to contribute. Do you agree/disagree? Why? Why not?

Answer 1

1 In my opinion Masks or cloth face coverings have the potential to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 without greatly disrupting economic activity if they are widely used. To assess the state of mask wearing, some Surveys had done with US consumers about their recent and prospective mask-wearing behavior. They find that most respondents are wearing masks in public but that some respondents are less likely to follow social-distancing guidelines while doing so, indicating a potential tradeoff between two of the recommended methods that jointly reduce coronavirus transmission. While most respondents indicated that they were extremely likely to wear a mask if required by public authorities, the reported likelihood is strongly dependent on age and perceived mask efficacy.

2. Agree - because of the Flaws in Pluralism. Please find the detailed Explanation below:

Interest groups generate a great deal of controversy. Some critics even blame interest groups for many of the problems in America. Other people, however, see interest groups as a vital component of the American democratic system.

Pluralism

Pluralism is the idea that democratic politics consists of various interest groups working against each other, balancing one another out so that the common good is achieved.

Flaws in Pluralism

Critics of pluralism contend that there is no such thing as the common good because there are so many conflicting interests in society: What is good for one person is often bad for others. They argue that the interest groups interfere with democracy because they seek benefits for a minority of people rather than the greater good of the majority. The National Rifle Association, for example, has repeatedly blocked new gun control legislation despite the fact that a majority of Americans actually want stricter gun laws. Other critics argue that the interest group system is really effective only to economic interest groups, which have greater financial resources at their disposal. Nearly two-thirds of lobbyists in Washington represent economic groups. Critics also argue that interest groups tend to ignore the interests of the poor in favor of middle- and upper-class Americans, who have more time and money to contribute.

Hyperpluralism

Other scholars have argued that interest groups have been too successful and use the term Hyperpluralism to describe political systems that cater to interest groups and not the people. These critics argue that too many interest groups lead to Demosclerosis, the inability of government to accomplish anything substantial. These critics contend that the U.S. government cannot make serious changes, even if those changes are needed, because competing interest groups stymie the government from governing the country effectively.