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WELCOME TO POLITICAL
SCIENCE 100
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There are some spaces available in thissection of POSC 100.
Other sections of POSC 100 also haveseats available.Priority will be given to graduating seniors
who need to complete this course in orderto graduate.
Interested students should give yourname and student # to one of the class TAs .
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Introducing the instructors
Professor George
TA s:
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Basic Course Rules and ExpectationsBecause POSC 100 is required of all
students, every effort will be made
to make the course manageable, withconsistent grading procedures.
The goal of the course grading
system is to enable you to pass POSC100 with the highest grade possible.
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Your grade will reflect two things:
Regular attendance
Doing the readings concurrently withthe lectures
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Your course grade will be based on fourtest gradesThere will be a total of five exams given:
four regular exams and a final examThe exams will be held at the end of each
unit, and will have both essay and objectivequestionsEach exam (incl. the final) will count equallyThe Final Exam will be comprehensiveThe best four grades on these exams will
be averaged to compute your course grade
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Computing your course grade
A = 4B = 3 [EXAM GRADES]C = 2D = 1
3.5-4.0 = A2.5-3.49 = B2.0-2.49 = C (or CR)1.0-1.99 = D
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Class rulesNo talking or disturbing others during
lecturesNo leaving before class is dismissed
(without prior permission)Professor George will add one point to
every students next exam score for everyclass session in which no one leaves earlyand no one is talking during lectures(This will change most students grades by
a full letter grade).
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LECTURE SLIDESSlides with lecture notes will usually be
posted before class
These slides are toguideyour note takingin class
They are NOT to be used as a substitutefor coming to class
.
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Some of the material for exams willNOT appear on posted lecture slides.You will have to actually attend classto get that material
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What is Politics?
What is Government?
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How we use the term politics inthis class
Large-scale struggles among organized
groups over resources, wealth, and power
The process of deciding how to resolvecontroversies among groups
The use of government power for publicpurposes
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Powers of government
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What should government dowith this power?
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Preamble to the USConstitution
We the people of the United States, in
order to perform a more perfect union,establish justice, ensure domestictranquility, provide for the commondefense, promote the general welfare, andsecure the blessings of liberty, toourselves and our posterity
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What governments (aresupposed to) do
Governments are sovereignorganizations that perform crucialpolitical functions that cannot beperformed by other organizations
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Governments are supposed toestablish justice
Protect peoples rightsMake and enforce fair lawsInterpret the law and judge cases
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Ensure just and fair treatment under the
lawControversies over how to interpret this
duty:Equal treatment vs. identical treatmentMedical careGovernment programsHigher education before the California system
Affirmative action
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Justice includes
Criminal justiceCivil justice (resolving conflicts among
individuals and groups)
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ensure domestic tranquilityThis means both reducing crime and
nurturing a peaceful and orderly society
Part of this involves police, courts, jails,etc.
Another part involves governmentresponsibility to address peoplesgrievances before they lead to conflict andviolence
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promote the general welfareMake laws to regulate, protect, and ensure
the interests of people and groups
Develop and implement policies to supportand improve the general well-being of thepeople
Raise and spend money to fund theseprogramsRegulate business and private
economic activity to protect all the
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Levels of government
Federal (national) governmentState governmentsLocal governments
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Why ispoliticsnecessary?
modern societies are large and complex
They include groups of people withdifferent backgrounds, values, and who livein very different circumstances
But these people have to live together andget along under a common government
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Different groups of people are going todisagree about what that governments lawsandpoliciesare going to be
Policy: the governments plan for dealing with
a particular problem or problem area:Environmental policyWhat to do about global climate change
Foreign policyWhat to do about Iranian efforts to get nuclear weapons
Economic policyWhat to do about the price of gasoline, financial crisis
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Different groups are going to disagree
about what the governments laws andpolicies are going to be
Global climate change:
Some groups will call for reductions in fossilfuel usageSome will call for government to let the market
decide what changes will be made
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Iranian nuclear weaponsSome will call for diplomacy -- using
carrots and sticks -- to persuade Irannot to develop nuclear weaponsSome will favor military action to
destroy Irans nuclear productionfacilities
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Political controversiesThe problem is that the government must
choose onecourse of action for dealing
with each of these problems and use thepower of the government to implementthat policy
Disputes among groups who favordifferent and incompatible environmentalpolicies, foreign policies, and economicpolicies give rise topolitical controversies
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The three Is
Political controversies usually
involves differences ofIdentityInterest
Ideology
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Textbook examples ofcontroversies
Should abortion be legal Should taxes be increased on the rich to pay for services
for others? Should murderers be executed? Should more, or less, money be spent on the military budget? Should the minimum wage be increased? Should affirmative action programs be abolished? Should environmental regulations be more stringent? Should same-sex marriage be permitted?
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Other examples of politicalcontroversies
Should the US have gone to war in Iraq
and Afghanistan?Should the US stay in Iraq and Afghanistan, or
leave?
Should there be a draft?
Should the US have a public health care system?
Should higher education be free?
Should it be privatized?
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Deciding what the law and governmentpolicy will be
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The means of government
Governments address public problems
and political controversies by
Coming up with policies for solving these
Implementing those policies byexercising power throughpoliticalinstruments
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Coercive instruments
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Problems with using coercion
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Persuasive instruments
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PersuasionAdvantages:Persuasion doesnt cost anything or hurtanyoneIf leaders can persuade opponents to join
together, it can build solidarityandstrengthen patriotic loyalty.
Disadvantages:
If it doesnt work, the government mustresort to other means anywayPersuasion and propaganda often involve
government deception and manipulation of thepeople
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Economic instruments
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Most political disputes todayare at
bottom about how money for publicpurposes is
Raised
Spent
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How money collected by the government canbe used for public purposes
Tax cuts: it can be returned to be spent by
citizens for their own private consumptionMilitary and security expenditures: It can be
spent by the government on military, police,prisons, etc.
Public civilian services and social programs:education, health care, economic safety net,national parks, museums, etc.
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CASE STUDY: The federalgovernments options in 2005
The federal government had $330 billionleft over at the end of the fiscal year
Congress and the president had to decide
what to do with these funds
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What actually happened
They chose to implement a tax cut
Most of the tax cut went to the top 8% ofAmericans (those earning more than$140,000 per year)
Most Americans received approximately$400, or approximately $1 per day
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The military spending option
The government could have instead paid
off that years defense budget($350 billion)This money was going to be spentThis money thus had to be borrowed, and we
still owe itit will be paid out of future taxes, in addition
toThe annual military budget for each year ($350
billion per year)
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Civilian social programs option
Alternatively, the government could
done ALL of the following:
Provided health care for all uninsuredchildren in the US
Cleaned up all the remaining large toxicwaste pollution sites in the US
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PLUS
Paid for all the additional emergency
response personnel for the war onterrorism
Eliminated the California statebudget deficit
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Or the government could have doneALL of the following
Hired 100,000 teachers to reduce class
size
Provided grants to repair 6,000 schools
Provided tutors for 9 millionunderperforming school children
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Here are the federal governmentprograms that would have totaled
$330 billionProvide health insurance for all 9.2 million
uninsured American children: $13 billionProvide health insurance for all 41 million
uninsured Americans: $98 billion
Close all state budget gaps and reducestate taxes: $78 billionEnd homelessness in 10 years: $13 billion
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Clean up all major toxic waste pollution
sites: $3 billionProvide Head Start for all 2 million kidswho are currently eligible but dont receiveit: $25 billion
Prevent blackouts and energy price surges:$4 billionReduce 90% of the food poisoning and
disease in the US: $1 billion
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Provide housing and income support for all
victims of domestic violence: $1 billionHire 1 million new public school teachers:$30 billionHire 1 million new child care providers: $22
billionProvide transportation, delivered meals,and cleaning help for all US seniors: $4billion
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Provide assistive technology and
medical equipment for 1 milliondisabled Americans: $4 billionPay for income gap for Reserve and
National Guard personnel called upfor active duty in Iraq: $2 billionVaccinate all Americans: $5.6 billion
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Three case studies of politics
Gay rights in Maine
The sinking of the Rainbow Warrior
Modern slavery in El Monte
(Read all of these cases in the textbook)