Dahl (1961), a political scientist firmly committed to the American model of
democracy, argues that interests can only be identified by the people who have them,
which tends to identify interests directly with wants. However, what people want or choose
is not always something that is good for them. People can make the wrong choices; they
may be better off if they are steered in another direction. Barry (1965) links interests with
those things which lead to the satisfaction of wants. It is not necessarily in a child's
interests to stay off school, even if the child wants to play instead, because ultimately
schooling increases one's opportunities for wants to be satisfied.