POS1041 1 6 12 Geology Study of the Earth Biology Study of Living Things Political Science Epistemology A method of knowing Philosophy vs Science Describe explain predict Normative Question Aught question What aught we do Positive Question Not Aught but ARE Not who aught to win Who WILL win What is Politics Harold Lasswell Who gets What When And How David Easton The authoritative allocation of values for a society Robert Dahl A relationship of influence between two or more actors Not important whether or not it is successful neither Actor A nor Actor B must be successful as long as a relationship of influence occurred However if one threatened the other then the relationship does not exist War begins where politics ends Kernell Jacobson and Kousser Politics is the process through which individuals and groups reach agreement on a course of common or collective action even as they continue to disagree on the goals that action is intended to achieve Politics is everywhere Individual Choices Social Costs Frequently lead to Steak Lobster Chipotle Burrito The Constitution of a nation creates its governing institutions and the set of rules prescribing the political process these institutions must follow to reach and enforce collective agreements The Government in turn consists of those institutions created by the constitution and charged with making and enforcing collective agreement Constitutions and Government Examples of Governments Monarchy Republics Representative Democracy Government chosen by the people not necessarily democratic Theocracy Government by the rule of God Dictatorship Institutions Institutions consists of roles that are designed and linked together with rules to perform some intended purpose Better Definition The formal and informal rules of the game Individual Choices Social Costs POS1041 1 9 12 Rational Choice Theory Assumptions of Rational Choice Theory Individuals have goals which they attempt to achieve the moral value of actors goals is Individuals have freedom of choice Although institutions can constrain choices individuals are free to choose between alternatives Individuals choose actions that they believe will achieve their goals the Self Interest Rational choice theorists deliberately simplify and abstract reality in their models of not judged Axiom politics Rational Behavior means choosing the best means to gain a predetermined set of goals If partner does not squeal I ll get 5 years in prison misdemeanor charge If partner squeals I ll get 10 years partner will go free The Prisoner s Dilemma Misdemeanor charge 5 years in prison Felony charge 10 years in prison Strategy 1 Keep Quiet Potential Outcomes Strategy 2 Squeal on Partner Potential Outcomes IF partner does not squeal I ll go free If partner squeals I ll get 7 years Butch Keep Quiet Squeal POS1041 1 11 12 The Chinese Riverboat Pullers Free Rider Problem Rocco Keep Quiet 5 5 10 Free Squeal Free 10 7 7 Within a group trying to achieve collective action each individual has an incentive to not contribute They know their small contribution to the collective enterprise will not affect its success or failure Examples Public Television Taxes The lighthouse example World War I trench warfare Common Pool Resources A type of good consisting of a natural or human made resource system e g an irrigation system or fishing ground whose size or characteristics makes it costly but not impossible to exclude potential beneficiaries from obtaining benefits from its use Tragedy of the Commons A situation in which group members overexploit a common resource causing its destruction Elinor Ostrom Political Science Nobel Laureate in Economics 2009 Dedicated Life to studying Commons problems Collective Action Solutions Punch and Pie Selective Incentive Some sort of additional benefit or punishment that you get by not participating in a group Carrots and Sticks Problems of Coordination Enforcement Government consists of those institutions created by the constitution and charged with making and enforcing collective agreements Institutions The formal and informal rules of the game which either constrain or promote human choice and behavior The Cost of Collective Action Each Participant s contribution to the enterprise Overhead costs of enforcing agreements Transaction costs Conformity costs Transaction Costs Those costs involved in making and carrying out a market transaction agreement or contract between two or more parties Conformity Costs The difference between what any one person prefers and what the collectivity actually agrees to POS1041 1 18 12 The Cost of Collective Action Each Participant s contribution to the enterprise Overhead costs of enforcing agreements Transaction Costs Those costs involved in making and carrying out a market transaction agreement or contract between two or more parties Conformity Costs The difference between what any one person prefers and what the collectivity actually agrees to When one is high the other is low Representative Government and the Founding A Matter of Choice A Matter of Choice Democracy Government by the People Direct Democracy Citizens participate directly in collective decision making Representative Democracy A form of government in which the citizenry limits their decisions Republic Government of representatives Not necessarily democratic The Logic of Delegation Delegation The assigning of authority to make and implement decisions to some smaller number of persons who are expected to act on behalf of the larger group s interest Principals Those who possess authority the right to make decisions Agents those who are granted delegated the authority to make and implement decisions for the principal s Agency Loss The discrepancy between what principals would ideally like their agents to do and how these agents actually behave Principals and Agents The Delegation Tango Principal Agent Voters Elected Employer Employee Home Buyer Real Estate Agent Congress Buearocracy Simple Majority 50 1 Supermajorities Majorities larger than simple majority rule ex rule Plurality whoever receives the most popular votes in the election wins POS1041 1 20 12 Order Freedom and Equality What is the proper scope of government The Basic Tasks of Government Maintaining Order Providing Public Goods Promoting Equality Maintaining Order Thomas Hobbes 1588 1679 Leviathan 1651 John Locke 1632 1704 Life in a state of nature would be solitary poor nasty brutish and short Social Contract People agree to be
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