100 Intro Posted Lecs 1

8/4/2019 100 Intro Posted Lecs 1

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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)

100 Intro Posted Lecs 1

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