Designing a Political System

Suppose you had a chance to design a political system.  What sort would you design?  First, you would need to decide what you valued in a political system, and then you might need to examine the assumptions tht those choices reveal.  You might also consider the implications of your choices on your life under such a government.  Look at the following pairs of statements and mark the one pair of each pair of attributes that you would value most in your political institutions. 

Circle a or b to indicate your choice

Which would you rather have?

a.     A political system with the most political democracy as possible—that is, one that translates popular wants into laws and policies as efficiently as possible

OR

b.     A political system that gives elected officials considerable latitude to do what they want to or feel is best, without having to worry too much about public opinion

a.     A political system that can make major policy changes quickly

OR

b.     A political system where major changes in policy are very hard to effect and happen only rarely

a.     A political system that allows minority groups to block governmental actions that they feel are unfair or unjust to them

OR

b.     A political system in which the majority prevails, even in the face of minority opposition

a.     political system that seeks to make its citizens virtuous and good

OR

b.     A political system that leaves citizens to live as they wish

a.     A political system with the power centralized in one place, to allow coherent and consistent policy across an entire nation

OR

b.     A political system with power decentralized, to represent the needs and wants of various localities

a.     A political system that makes the best of the fact that people are basically self-interested

OR

b.     A political system that seeks to make its citizens unselfish and concerned wit the common good.