Chapter 6 Collateral Reading

American Government, Readings and Cases, by Peter Woll

1. Divided We Govern, David R. Mayhew  (12th Ed., page 194; 13th Ed. page 181)
 
Critics of divided government have proposed more disciplined political parties to unify the president and the congress, thereby helping to overcome the effects of the separation of powers. However, the divided government that the separation of powers helps to create works as well as the unified government that party discipline would establish.


2. The Governmental Process, David B. Truman (12th Ed., page 233; 13th Ed. page 219)
There is no "national interest" apart from the interests of pressure groups. Pressure groups provide the necessary linkage between people and government, and by pursuing their own interests these groups define the national interest.

Chief Justice Richard Barajas
Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics
Cathedral High School, El Paso, Texas
Last updated: January 2002