Jack Jones

What will the interview be about?

For the interview I will revisit the claims made in my previous blog post for “counter story”, and how the current American Presidential Administration in the states alters the narrative that is concretely established hundreds of years ago that warns against the rise of factions in the country, Federalist 10, Avalon Law Yale.Edu and states that their presence as a political party is not overwhelmingly powerful like James Madison said it could be all those years ago.

Who will you interview? Why are these people ideal interviewees?

Being a student at SDSU, means access to a lot of resources and potential interviewees, if they are to respond that is. Can be seen here: https://politicalscience.sdsu.edu/ These potential interviewees involve, anyone who is up to date in the political scene or better yet geopolitical scene, and preferably someone who is familiar in how the United States government and politics works. This opens the door for many people to be a potential interviewee. This can include:

• SDSU Political Science Teachers/Professors
• SDSU Mock Trial members
• Philosophy teachers familiar with political science
• Grad students who graduated with a Political science major, criminal justice major, pre-law, etc. (Professional studies)
• U.S history teachers/Professors

Why are they ideal?, All of these people and their career paths line up with my criteria, they must be familiar with politics, familiar with government and have much more of a likelihood to be knowledgeable of U.S history regarding Madison, and the geopolitical state currently.

Where will the interview take place?

The interview can take place in different places depending on the interviewees comfortability and scheduling. Should the interviewee be a avid member of the SDSU community, the interview will be conducted in person on campus, at a time both parties agreed upon.

How will the interview be recorded, noted down?

The interview will be recorded through the voice memo app, The interviewee will be asked if they consent for the interview to be voice recorded, if they say yes, Voice memo application available on the iPhone will be used. After consent, The voice memo will cover the entire interview up until the point where both parties part ways. While being recorded, notes will be taken during the interview and post interview. The notes being taken during the interview will be minimal and focused only on key points and topics, the notes taken after the interview will go back over the interview and cover more nuanced topics. My goal is to either have two interviews spanning 10-15 minutes, or one interview spanning 30-45 minutes. The following link is similar to the iPhone application: Voice Memo application

How will you explain your topic to the interviewee and give them a sense of purpose to your problem?

I will explain it like this, “Hello, I am conducting a interview regarding the differences from James Madison’s Federalist 10 paper regarding a rationalized fear for the rise of factions and how that notion compares to the state of political parties today. Do you have time to discuss this topic and provide some professional insight?

What are 4-5 main interview questions and 1 follow up question for each main question?

1. Do you think James Madison’s warning for rising factions in federalist #10 has mitigated any single majority faction from becoming too powerful?
   • Potential Follow up: What do you think Madison would think about the presence of political parties if he were alive today?
2. Does a Political party count as a faction definition: https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-party
   • How so?
3. How does the current American Presidential Administration reflect or contradict the concerns Madison outlined in Federalist No. 10?
   • Follow-up: Do you believe the administration’s actions represent a natural evolution of political power, or something more structurally dangerous to democratic governance?
4. In your professional opinion, has the two-party system in America become the very kind of dominant faction Madison feared, or does it still operate within the boundaries of a functional republic?
   • Follow-up: Do you think the existence of two overwhelmingly dominant parties suppresses the political voice of Americans who fall outside of either ideology? For reference: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faction
5. Given that Madison wrote Federalist No. 10 in a vastly different political and social climate, how much weight should his warnings carry in today’s geopolitical landscape? Timeline: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-16759233
   • Follow-up: Are there any modern political theorists or frameworks you would point to that either build on or challenge Madison’s concerns about factionalism?

What problems do you foresee with this interview? How will you consider this going into it?

1. Getting a Response / Securing an Interviewee
   • The most immediate obstacle is simply getting someone to agree to participate. Professors, grad students, and faculty all operate on busy schedules, and cold outreach even from a fellow member of the SDSU community does not guarantee a response. May reach out to several people before one agrees.
2. The Interviewee May Not Be Familiar Enough With Federalist No. 10
   • Even someone well versed in political science or U.S. history may not have Federalist No. 10 at the front of their mind. Their answers could be vague, surface level, or historically imprecise, which would weaken the credibility of your counter-story.