POLS 206 American National Government Instructor Grant Ferguson SI MEETING Sunday Thursday from 6 7 in HECC 200 LECTURE 1 What Is Politics Who gets what when and how How people try to manage conflicts that arise in society whether they be conflicting interests conflicting values or how to best allocate limited resources Examples of questions Political Scientists seek to answer Why do members of Congress support certain laws but not others Why are people Republicans Democrats Independents Who votes Why Why is the Supreme Court the weakest branch of GOVT Is the Media Biased How do personality traits genetics affect political participation How does the economy affect public desire for conservative or liberal government What makes a winning political campaign How much do Americans lie on surveys Questions outside of American Politics When and why does war occur When and why do governments collapse When and why do revolutions occur and succeed What causes Terrorism Why are some countries prosperous peaceful and happy and why others aren t WHY POLITICAL SCIENCE MATTERS It is important because it tells us o Who will win elections o What kinds of laws will be passed or repealed o Whether Americans are aware of whats going on in their country o When should we expect political violence Government certainly doesn t determine everything but whether positively or negatively GOVT policies often affect you o The drinking age o Whether you can get an abortion o Existence of job openings in your field o How much is taken out of your paycheck in taxes o The cost of gas o The availability of healthcare o How easily can guns be purchased WHO ARE POLITICAL ACTORS Who determines what occurs in Gov t Who are Political Actors o EX RADIO VOICE TV PERSONALITIES LOBBYING GROUPS CELEBRITIES COLLEGE PROFESSORS ETC 2 HISTORICAL BROAD THEORIES ABOUT HOW GOV T WORKS o ELITE THEORY C WRIGHT MILLS SOCIOLOGIST A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE MAKES MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS o PLURALIST THEORY ROBERT DAHL GOVERNMENT IS OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE RATIONALITY WHEN INDIVIDUALS RATIONAL ACTORS HAVE PREFERENCES AND ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEM GIVEN THE INFORMATIONAL CONSTRAINTS AND LIMITATIONS THEY FACE HOW DOES RATIONALITY RELATE TO HOW THE INSTITUTIONS CONGRESS THE PRESIDENT SUPREME COURT IN THE US GOVT ARE DESIGNED o RULES LIKE THOSE IN THE CONSTITUTION SUCH AS HAVING TO BE 18 TO VOTE AFFECT THE NUMBER AND KINDS OF CHOICES AVAILABLE THE CONSEQUENCES OF ONE OR MORE CHOICES IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR ONLY OCCURS WHEN YOU MAKE A CHOICE COUNTER TO YOUR PREFERENCES o AS WE DISCUSS POLITICS DIFFERENT POLITICAL ACTORS THIS SEMESTER THINK ABOUT RATIONALITY WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM PARTICULAR OUTCOMES WHAT CAN THEY DO TO ACHIEVE THOSE OUTCOMES INSTITUTIONS USUALLY CHANGE SLOWLY BUT CAN CHANGE OVER TIME ARE NOT INHERENTLY FAIR BUT REFLECT PREFERENCES OF DECISION MAKERS INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES CREATE NEW CHOICES AND NEW OUTCOMES THE USE OF INSTITIONS HELP TO RESOLVE COMPETING PREFERENCES HOWEVER INSTITUTIONS ARE DESIGNED TO FAVOR SOME GROUPS INTERESTS AND VALUES OVER OTHERS TO BE EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONS NEED TO BE DURABLE o INSTITUTIONS MUST PERSIST BEYOND THE TENURE OF ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL HOLDING OFFICE AUTHORITY MUST BE ASSIGNED TO THE POLITICAL OFFICE LIKE THE PRESIDENCY o NOT THE INDIVIDUAL HOLDING OFFICE INSTITUTIONS AND RULES CAN HELP INDIVIDUALS COOPERATE IN GROUP ACTIONS o THE CONSTITUTIONAL RULES FOR HOW A BILL BECOMES LAW MAKES THE PROCESS CLEAR FOR BOTH CONGREE AND THE PRESIDENT SO THEY ARE ABLE TO ACT IN A MUTUALLY ACCEPTED FRAMEWORK THOUGH THEY CAN ALSO MAKE COOPERATION MORE DIFFICULT WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO COOPERATE AND COORDINATE 2 PRIMARY REASONS BELOW o COORDINATION ISSUES A GROUP OF PEOPLE ALL HAVE SIMILAR PREFERENCES BUT A MUTUALLY PREFERRED OUTCOME WILL NOT BE REACHED UNLESS THEY ARE ABLE TO SHARE INFORMATION AND BEAR THE COSTS OF ORGANIZING Example MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO HAVE SIMILAR VIEWS ON TAX POLICY LAWS BUT ARE UNAWARE WHO DOES AND HOW TO GET TOGETHER TO WRITE LEGISLATION SUPPORTING THEIR PREFERENCES o COLLECTIVE ACTION PROBLEMS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL OUTCOME EXISTS FOR A GROUP OF PEOPLE BUT IT WILL NOT BE ACHIEVED BECAUSE PEOPLE IN THE GROUP HAVE CONFLICTING PREFERENCES EXAMPLE THE PRISIONERS DILEMMA WHICH IS INDIVIDUALS WILL PURSUE INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT EVEN THOUGH THE OUTCOME WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY COOPERATED THE PRISONERS DILEMMA WANTING SOMETHING DONE FOR A SENSE OF ENJOYMENT BUT NOT WANTING TO PUT IN THE WORK NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL A PRISONERS DILEMMA EXAMPLE FROM POLITICS o 2 SLEAZY POLITICIANS IN A CAMPAIGN CONSIDERING USING DIRTY CHARACTER ASSASSAINTION TACTICS BOTH WOULD PREFER TO LOOK LIKE GOOD MORAL PEOPLE RELATED COLLECTIVE ACTION PROBLEMS CAN OCCUR WHEN o INDIVIDUALS CAN BENEFIT FROM COLLECTIVE ACTION WITHOUT INCURRING COSTS A PUBLIC GOOD IS o NON EXCLUDABLE IF PROVIDED TO ONE PERSON IN A GROUP MUST BE PROVIDED TO ALL REGARDLESS OF WHO PAID FOR IT o NON RIVALROUS THE ADDITIONAL COST OF 1 MORE PERSON USING IT IS VIRTUALLY ZERO o EXAMPLES OF PUBLIC GOOD NATIONAL DEFENSE CLEAN ROADS A NICE LAKE OR BAY FOR FISHING ETC o PUBLIC GOODS ARE OFTEN HURT BY THE FREE RIDER PROBLEM FREE RIDER PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN GOODS CANNOT BE taken away FROM THOSE WHO HAVE NOT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PRODUCTION OF THE PUBLIC GOOD RESULT EVERYONE HAS AN INCENTIVE TO NOT PARTICIPATE 07 09 2013 07 09 2013