Syllabus - Mason academic research system (mason.gmu.edu)

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Resources and Services, 140 William Pitt Union (412) 648-7890/(412) 383-7355 (TTY), as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course. All discussions with me regarding disabilities are confidential. VII. Teaching Strategy While lectures are important because they help to distribute necessary information and facts, they are not usually the most effective way to learn information. For this reason, we will do a variety of activities in the classroom. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions and work together in critical thinking groups. We may watch a film and engage in interactive activities in the classroom. I hope that the variety of <strong>edu</strong>cational stimuli will help students to absorb more information. However, a certain amount of lecturing is necessary. VIII. Reading Assignments The reading assignments are chosen to buttress and expand on the analytic foundation laid in class. Please notify the instructor about problems obtaining the readings as soon as possible. The following materials are required and can be found at the campus Book Center. You are strongly encouraged to obtain copies of these texts and read them; doing so is critical to success in this course. There are two required books for this course: Bianco, William T. 2001. American Politics: Strategy and Choice. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN 978-0-393-97610-6 Lowi, Theodore J, Benjamin Ginsberg, Kenneth A. Shepsle, Stephen Ansolabehere. 2010. American Government: Power and Purpose, FULL 11 th ed. (with policy chapters). New York: W.W. Norton & Company. New Hardcover: ISBN 978-0-393-93298-0 ($97.50) *BOOK DISCOUNTS: The University Book Center carries the required titles for this course. The publisher offers a special package discount for buying both titles together (hardcover $88.00 ISBN 978-0-393-14317-1). In addition, the publisher offers the main text (Lowi, et al.) for a 50% discount if it is purchased as an E-book: ISBN 978-0-393-11717-2 ($48.75). If you choose to purchase your books elsewhere, you may do so; however, you are responsible for reading the required assignments prior to arriving in class each week. If you order your books on-line from another source and it takes several weeks to get here, you are still responsible for the readings while you wait for your text. IX. Course Sch<strong>edu</strong>le and Reading Assignments Tues., Aug. 31 Introduction to the Course (1) RULES OF THE GAME: THE FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT Thurs., Sept. 2 Readings: Why Government? (2) Lowi, et al., Chapter 1 (“The Five Principles of Politics”) Bianco, Chapter 1 (pp. 3-15) 4
Concentration Questions: Define government and politics. What are the two elements of every government? What are the three primary purposes of government? What is a collective action problem? Tues., Sept. 7 Readings: Concentration Questions: The Constitution (3) Lowi, et al., Chapter 2 (“Constructing a Government”) Lowi, et al., The Constitution of the United States of America (see Appendix) What was America’s first constitution called? Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? What were some of the compromises reached in the drafting of the Constitution? How was the Constitution the solution to a collective action problem? Thurs., Sept. 9 & Tues., Sept. 14 Readings: Concentration Questions: Pluralism, Preference Aggregation, and Majority Rule Cycling (4&5) Lowi, et al., Federalist No. 10 (see Appendix) Lowi, et al., Federalist No. 51 (see Appendix) Bianco, Chapter 2 (pp. 16-35) In Federalist No. 10, what is Madison worried about? Are Madison’s suggestions for quelling the violence of factions reasonable? Why or Why not? How does Madison think we should control the effects of factions? In Federalist No. 51, why does Madison think that government responsibilities should be divided? What “evil” is Madison worried about? Why? How does Madison think we can prevent tyranny of the majority? Thurs., Sept. 16 Readings: Concentration Questions: Federalism and Prisoners’ Dilemmas (6) Lowi, et al., Chapter 3 (“The Constitutional Framework: Federalism and the Separation of Powers”) Bianco, Chapter 3 (pp. 36-66) What is federalism? What were the circumstances in McCulloch v. Maryland? Name some national, state and concurrent powers. How can you find an equilibrium in a prisoners’ dilemma? How is a prisoners’ dilemma a collective action problem? What are some solutions to a collective action problem? 5
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