QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (GRADED
A+)
Political Beliefs - ANSWER--Not based on facts
-Based on your own opinions
-What you believe is the truth
Politcal Facts - ANSWER--Based off of evidence
-The scientific method
Savvy Citizens - ANSWER-Independent thinkers. know the difference between beliefs
and facts
We learn to understand other so that we can... - ANSWER-interact, cooperate and
compete
Political Actors and Commentators - ANSWER--Goal A: Look for power
-Goal B: Influence people to agree with them
-Not their job to tell us the truth
-Hold crowds attention by entertaining
-present out of context, incorrect, not factual information
Political Scientist - ANSWER--Goal A: seek out empirical information to transparently
describe events
-Goal B- fund research
-Use the scientific method
-Observe information
-Research findings
-Use the most complete evidence
-It is there job to tell the truth
Empirical Relationship - ANSWER--Observatory
-Experienced
governments are not neutral they are crafted with what goal - ANSWER-maximizing
wins of certain groups of individuals
Win v. Lose
Individuals vs group
today vs tomorrow
motivated vs scientific obj - ANSWER--When factual evidence has both pros and cons
, 'Definition of Politics' -Easton - ANSWER-"politics is concerned with the authoritative
allocation of values."
'Definition of Politics' -Deutsch - ANSWER-"politcal endeavor seeks to bring about a
max degree of change in the opposing group with a minimum of change in ones own
group."
-goods in question are public not private
Ecomonics= - ANSWER-private choices
Political= - ANSWER-public choices
Private Goods - ANSWER--limited goods to those who pay
-cannot offer public goods and remain solvent
Public goods prerequisites - ANSWER--users get benefits for free without making an
contribution
-good of group doesn't = good of individual
-consumption by one does not reduce benefit available for others
Necessary Government public goods - ANSWER-they ensure that the payments for,
and provision, of the public goods
U.S. Individuals and Groups - ANSWER--very important to the US, due to that most
world religions do not allow/emphasize this.
-we have a higher education, due to allowing students to determine their course.
-we have freedom of religion groups
-organizations should benefit individuals
Government Levels - ANSWER-1 US government
50 State governments
90,000 Local governments
gov level: efficiency - ANSWER-take care of local needs
gov level: equity - ANSWER-(those who pay will benefit
ex: specific to tx
gov level: participation - ANSWER-(local decisions affect local decision makers)
dont have to travel far for vote
gov level: protection against tyranny - ANSWER-(hard to grab power from dispersed
power centers)
gov level: choice - ANSWER-(relocation can solve conflicts)