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The American Political System PSCI 1101

The American Political System PSCI 1101. Dr. Vanessa A. Baird. Purpose of the Class. To prepare you to be good citizens To understand the current American political system To understand its history and goals, and to convince you to participate fully as a citizen. Purpose of the Class.

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The American Political System PSCI 1101

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  1. The American Political System PSCI 1101 Dr. Vanessa A. Baird

  2. Purpose of the Class • To prepare you to be good citizens • To understand the current American political system • To understand its history and goals, and to convince you to participate fully as a citizen

  3. Purpose of the Class • To prepare you to be good citizens • To understand the current American political system • To understand its history and goals, and to convince you to participate fully as a citizen • To prevent you from being manipulated by elites (politicians, media pundits, idiot celebrities, business leaders, friends, that obnoxious kid in your dorm, etc.) • i.e. to teach you to “think critically”

  4. Purpose of the Class • To prepare you to be good citizens • To understand the current American political system • To understand its history and goals, and to convince you to participate fully as a citizen • To prevent you from being completely controlled by elites (politicians, media pundits, idiot celebrities, business leaders, friends, that obnoxious kid in your dorm, etc.) • i.e. to teach you to “think critically” • To introduce you to the scientific study of American Politics

  5. Class Website https://socsci.colorado.edu/~bairdv Class Email: Vanessa.Baird@Colorado.edu

  6. Your Grade • 25% your participation grade • Yes, you are required to do the reading each day! • Each lecture is a unique and different from the book

  7. Your Grade • 37.5% Exam 1 • 37.5 % Exam 2 • These are multiple choice and non-cumulative

  8. What kind of language are YOU using? • “Normative” language • Interested in what “Should be” • “It’s not fair!” • “We want justice!” • “Positive” Language • Explains what “Is” • Not concerned with justice or fairness, simply “Why do things happen the way they do?”

  9. What is Government? • Mancur Olson. 1993. “Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development.” The American Political Science Review (available on www.jstor.org) • Mancur Olson • Stationary Bandits vs. Roving Banditry • Life in the natural state of things is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” (Hobbes)

  10. What is Government? • Mancur Olson • Government is the entity with the highest capacity for violence • We might add that government is the only entity that can “legitimately” use violence to force people to do things (or not do things)

  11. What is Democracy? • Mancur Olson: The ruler and the ruled are one in the same. • Still an elite-based theory • Rulers are forced to share power • This keeps them honest • Because they don’t want to have to live under their own bad rules • The appeal is to the masses • But only to select different bandits • Democracy is shared power among thieves

  12. Collective Action • The efforts of a group of people to reach a decision and implement it

  13. Collective Action • Why is this sometimes easy and sometimes hard? • Easy: you and your roommates deciding where to eat • Hard: getting people to carpool to work

  14. Today’s Participation • IF at least 60% of class “Gives,” • Those who “Keep” will keep their 1 point AND get the community points (2 more) for a total of 3 • Those who “Give,” will get the community points (2 points) but will lose the point they gave away

  15. Today’s Participation 2) IF fewer than 60% give: • Those who “Keep” will keep their 1 point • Those who “Give” will get no participation credit for today (0)

  16. Today’s Participation You will have 10 seconds to choose A) “Keep” = keep your participation credit for today B) “Give” = donate it to the community pot

  17. Collective Action Problems • Factors that make collective action more difficult • Very large groups • Less trust, harder to monitor, easier to cheat • More differing preferences • Stronger preferences • People are not indifferent • Type of goods • Public versus private

  18. Examples of Public Goods • National defense • Clean air • Public parks • Public highways • Participatory democracy • Member supported public radio • Etc.

  19. Prisoner’s Dilemma

  20. Prisoner’s Dilemma

  21. Prisoner’s Dilemma

  22. Prisoner’s Dilemma

  23. Prisoner’s Dilemma

  24. What is justice? • And yet rich men probably have a greater superiority in the science and practice of military qualities. •     And suppose that, before engaging, our citizens send an embassy to one of the two cities, telling them what is the truth: Silver and gold we neither have nor are permitted to have, but you may; do you therefore come and help us in war, and take the spoils of the other city: Who, on hearing these words, would choose to fight against lean wiry dogs, rather than, with the dogs on their side, against fat and tender sheep? •     That is not likely; and yet there might be a danger to the poor State if the wealth of many States were to be gathered into one. •     But how simple of you to use the term State at all of any but our own! •     Why so? •     You ought to speak of other States in the plural number; not one of them is a city, but many cities. For indeed any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich; these are at war with one another; and in either there are many smaller divisions, and you would be altogether beside the mark if you treated them all as a single State.

  25. Excludability and joint supply Non-excludable, not of joint supply: Private property Excludable, not of joint supply A weak wireless connection in a busy password protected coffee shop Excludable, of joint supply: Madonna concert Non-excludable, of joint supply Public goods: common defense, clean air

  26. Time to Start Packing! Clint Eastwood

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