Chapter1

Politicsisaboutmakingcollectiveactiondecisionsaboutresourceallocation.
Creatingandenforcingsocietalrules
Givencompetinginterests,politicsisoftenconflictive.
Whogetswhat,when,andhow?
Theauthoritativeallocationofvalue.
Coercedcontributiontothecollectivegood.
Institutionsexisttohelpsolvecollectiveactionproblems.
Thereisnoneutralinstitution.
Endogenousinstitutionsarenotgiven.
o Ex.)Creationofcommittees
o Maybeunfairbecausetheyarecreatedbythepeopletheyregulate/affect.
Exogenousinstitutionsaregiven.
o Ex.)Theconstitution
o Maynotmakesensetodaymaynolongerberelevant.
ExamplesofInstitutions
o Branchesofgovernment
Congress,President,Courts
o Organizations
ElectoralCollege,IRS,Parties
o Rules&Procedures
Pluralityelections,separationofpowers
CollectiveDilemmas
Whenthegoalsofanindividualconflictwiththatofthegroup
Whenwhatisindividuallyrationalbecomescollectivelyirrational.
Coercionisrequiredtosolvecollectiveactionproblems.
Freeridingmayoccur
o Nothavingtocontributebutstillbenefittingfromthepublicgood.
Publicgoodsarenonexcludableandnonrivalrous
Ex.)Stoplights
PrincipalAgentProblems
Principalshireagentstodosometaskforthem
o Theycantbesurethattheagentisactingfaithfully
Ex.)Carmechanic,politician(Allelectedofficialsareagentsof
thevoters.)
TypesofInstitutions
Authoritariandictators,monarchs,onepartystates.
Democraticrulebythepeople
o Directdemocracy(citizensvote)
o Republic(representatives)
o Democracyisaboutelections

Toomuchdemocracycanbeabadthing.Peopledontknow
whatsgoodforthemtbh.
Liberalismisoftenconfusedfordemocracy.
Apoliticaldoctrinethatprotectsandenhancesthefreedom
oftheindividualfoundedonprinciplesoflibertyand
equality.
o Thestateofcivilandpoliticalrightsenjoyedby
citizens.
Delegatesdowhatyoutellthemto.
Trusteesdowhatsbestforyouasdeterminedbythem.

Chapter3
Federalismasystemofsharedpowersbetweentwoormorelevelsofgovernment.
Idealfederalismiswhereeachoftheconstituentpartsknowstheirrole.
IntheU.S.thestategovernmentcannotsurpassthefederalgovernment.
Confederationaweakerformofunion,apoliticalsystemwithmultipleslevelsof
government.
Levelscannotbecompelledbythenationalgovernment
Typicallyfaceseriouscollectiveactionproblems.
o Federalismcanhelpsolvecollectiveactionproblems.
Preventingstatesfromgoingtowar
Settingnationalstandards
Thefederalgovernmenthasgrownbecauseofcollectiveactiondilemmas,vague
constitution,andnationalelectionsthatfocusonnationalissues,andthe17th
amendment.
Stategovernmentsaresimilarinstructuretothefederalgovernment.
Americanfederalismcompetitionandinnovationacrossstates,experimentationinone
statecanprovideevidencefornew,effectivepolicies.
Ourcurrentsystemisbiasedtowardslesspopulaceareas.
Chapter4
CivilrightsandLiberties
Whyhaverightsandlibertiesbeencontroversial?
o Theproblemoffederalism.
Lackofspecificityintheconstitutioncreatesmanyrightsand
libertiescontroversies.
Societalchanges
Howhavecourtsandotherbranchesofgovernmentresolvedthesecontroversies?
o Courtshavetriedtostrikebalancebetweenliberty,freedom,andsafety.
CivilRights(+rights)rulesonwhatthegovernmentcantdoandhowagovernment
mustact.
Allowindividualstoparticipateingovernment
o Voting

o Petitioningthegovernment
Courtshavefailedtoupholdrightsbefore.(JimCrow,Gayrights,
Immigrants,Intermentcampsetc.,)
Grantindividualsfreedomfromoppressionbasedonstatus.
o Dueprocess,equaltreatment,freedomfromdiscrimination
CivilLiberties(rights)positiveactionsthegovernmentmusttakeforequality.
Freedomfromgovernmentinterferenceinindividualliberty
o Freedomofspeech/Freedomofreligion
OriginsofRights&Liberties
Ageofenlightenment
Declarationofindependence
Billofrightsfirst10amendmentstotheconstitution
o 1st:FreedomofSpeech/Religion
o 2nd:Guns,rightstothecriminallyaccused(dueprocess)
o 4th:Searchandseizure(warrants)
o 5th:Grandjury,doublejeopardy,selfincrimination,eminentdomain
o 6th:Righttoajury,righttocounsel
o 8th:Excessivebail/fines/cruel&unusualpunishment,deathpenalty
TheUSistheonlywesterncountrythatstillusesthedeathpenalty
th
o 9 :righttoprivacy~kinda
o Requireallgovernmentsatanyleveltoenforcethelawsthatappliedtothe
individualsandgovernments.
Virginiabillofrights
Roleofcourts
Makelawsandenforcethem
o Legitimacymusttrustthattheirlawswillbeenforced.
Ex.)Schoolprayerandschooldesegregationareunpopular
decisions,whichhadtobeenforced.
Canprotectagainstmajoritytyranny
Cansolvecollectivedilemmas
Thecourtusesthe14thamendmenttointerpretlawsaboutdiscrimination
o HOTTOPICS:Affirmativeaction,abortion(roev.wade),gayrights
Chapter9
Electedpoliticiansaretheagentsformultipleprinciples.
Itisimpossibletoberesponsivetoeveryone
o Thereisrarelyeveraclearwillofthepeople
o Publicopinionfluxuates
Maybeinaccuratebecausesomepeopledontevenshowupto
vote
o Mostpeopleareuninformed!
Americanslackpoliticalknowledge

Onlypeoplethatarepassionatearegoingtospeakout(ex.)
ratemyteachers)

Possiblebiases:
Samplesarebiasedwhentheydonotreflectthepopulation
o Reasonsforbias
Selfselectionweirdos,peopleonoppositeextremes
Phonesandrandomdigitdialing(peoplewhohavephonesare?)
Nonresponsesthepeopleyoucantgetatareveryimportant!
Politicalattitudesandsocialization
Parentspoliticalviewsstronglyaffectpartisanshipandideology
Partisanshipandideologytendtobepersistent
Friendsandcoworkersactascuegivers
Majorworldeventsshapepeoplesviews
Materialinterestsareoftencorrelatedwithpoliticalattitudes
Sometimespeoplehaveattitudesthatseeminglyconflictwiththeirviews
o Politicaloutcomesandrationality
Doyouwantpoliciesthatsupportyourinterests/attitudes?
Toknowifsomeoneisrationalyouneedtoknowtheirinterests
andhowtheyrankthem.
GroupAttachments
Peoplewhoareirrationalonanindividuallevelareoftenrationalonacollective
level
o Similarly,Condorcetsparadoxstatesthatindividualswithcoherent
individualpreferencescanproduceincoherentgrouppreferences.
Alsogrouppreferencedoesntexist.
o ArrowsTheorem:wecannotalwaystranslateindividualrational
preferencesintogrouppreferencesgiventhefollowingfactors
Universaladmissibility,unanimity,independencefromirrelevant
alternatives,andnondictatorship.
Groupinterestsometimestrumpsindividualinterest
o Groupleadersfostersupportofgroupinterests
o Groupattachmentsareoftenhugepredictors.
Partisanship:individualstendtobestableintheirparty
identification.PartyIDisthebestpredictorofvotechoice.
EmotionsandElites
Challengestorationality
o Emotionssuchasfearcanexplainpoliticalbehaviorthatrationalitycannot
Howissuesarepresentedbyelitescaninfluenceattitudes
o Instrumentalrationalityisactinginaccordancewithonesbeliefs.
Priming:Gettingyoutothinkofsomethingyouwouldntotherwisehavethought
of
Framing:Shapingyouranswerbypresentingfactsinacertainway.
TheAmericanCreed

MostAmericans
o Haveasetofwidelysharedvalues
o Thinkthepoliticalsystemworksprettywell
o ~Believeinfirstamendmentrights

Chapter10
Democracyisbasedonpopularsovereignty:voteofthepeople.
Votingiscentraltodemocracy,butitisnotthesoleformofpolitical
participation.(writingletters,attendingrallies)
Isparticipationgoodorbad?
o Whenpeopledontparticipateisitdissatisfactionwiththesystemor
apathy?
Theparadoxofvoting:votingisacollectiveactionproblem.Does
mysinglevotematter?FreeRiding!Individualshaveanincentive
tostayhomeandnotdoshit.
Anindividualsunityfromvotingingeneralelectionscan
beunderstoodaspBC.pBC>0,thepersonwillvote.
o Pprobabilitythatanindividualsactofvotingwill
influencetheelection
o Banindividualsshareofthebenefitderivedfrom
theoutcomebeingtotheirliking.
o Cthecostsofvoting
Registrationisannoying,infogathering
(havingtobeinformed)isannoying,and
actuallygoingtovoteisannoying.
Mitigatingthecostsofvoting
throughthemotorvoterlaw,help
Americavoteact,earlyvoting/voting
bymail.
Civicgroupparticipationplaysarole
inorganizing/mobilizingcitizensto
vote.Oldpeople<3civicgroups,
youngpeoplearelikePRENDE
LAHOOKAH!!!
Socioeconomicstatus+Educationarethehighest
predictorsofwhoisgoingtovote!Uneducatedpoor
person?Sorry,youreprobablynotgoingtovote,son.
Chapter13
Whatdoelectionsaccomplish?
Selectingcompetentleaders
Holdingelectedofficialsaccountable
Determiningpolicydirectionandideology

o Medianvotertheorem:ifthemembersofagrouphavesinglepeaked
preferences,themedianvoterisgoingtobethemajoritypreference.And
itwontbecyclical.
o Divergence:appealingtothemoreextremevoters
Campaignscanmatterforasmallnumberofvoters
Campaignscancanceleachotherout,butcanrevealinfoaboutvoters.
Electoralinstitutionshavelargereffectsoncampaigns.