Logic of American Politics

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Logic of American Politics

• Mechanics of the Course
• Outline of lecture will be provided but you are
  responsible for taking notes during class
• Ask if an idea is not clear
• Lecture and textbook will overlap
• Exams will cover both lectures and textbooks

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Logic of American Politics

• Overview
• I. Logical Fallacies
• II. Politics and Political Science
• III. Competing Theories of American
• Politics
• IV. Collective Action Problems

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Logic of American Politics

• I. Logical Fallacies
• a. Definition
• b. Why Relevant
• c. Specific Fallacies
• 1. Appeal to Force
• 2. Ad Hominem
• 3. Appeal from Ignorance
• 4. Appeal to Pity

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Logic of American Politics

• 5. Appeal to the People
• 6. Fallacy of Accident
• 7. Fallacy of Converse Accident
• 8. Fallacy of False Cause
• 9. False Dichotomy
• 10. Slippery Slope
• 11. Straw Figure

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Logic of American Politics

• II. Politics and Political Science
• a. Politics
• 1. Definitions
• 2. Two Important Points
• 3. Key Terms
• - Policy
• - Normative vs. Empirical Studies

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Logic of American Politics

• b. Political Science
• 1. Definitions
• 2. Subfields of Political Science
• - Political Theory
• - American Politics
• - Comparative Politics
• - International Relations
• - Public Administration/Public
  Policy
• - Methodology

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Logic of American Politics

• III. Competing Grand Theories of U.S.
  Politics
• a. Majoritarian Theory
• b. Group Theory / Pluralism
• c. Elite Theory
• d. Institutionalism
• - Bureaucratic Rule
• e. Five Theories Applied to Civil Rights

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Logic of American Politics

• IV. Collective Action Problems
• a. Definition of Collective Action
• b. Relevancy to Politics
• c. Two Broad Categories
• i. Coordination Problems
• - Definition
• - Ex Fred and Ethel

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Logic of American Politics

• Prisoners Dilemma
• - Definition
• - Ex Thelma and Louise

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Thelma
Stay Quiet
Sequel
Stay Quiet
Louise
Sequel
Prison Time
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Thelma
Stay Quiet
Sequel
Stay Quiet
Louise
Sequel
Prison Time
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Thelma
Stay Quiet
Sequel
Stay Quiet
Louise
Sequel
Prison Time
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Thelma
Stay Quiet
Sequel
Stay Quiet
Louise
Sequel
Prison Time
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Thelma
Stay Quiet
Sequel
Stay Quiet
Louise
Sequel
Prison Time
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Japan
Cooperate
Defect
Cooperate
Sweden
Defect
Level of Pollution
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Logic of American Politics

• iii. Free-Rider Problem
• - Type of Prisoners Dilemma
• - Definition
• - Ex Group projects