Hi, everyone! This thread will serve as a review for exam #2 (I'll go over this review in class on Monday as well). Exam #2 takes place in class on Wednesday, February 26. It will be of similar format to exam #1. You simply need to bring pen and photo ID. You will have 75 minutes to complete the exam, but you probably won't need that long.
To prepare for the exam, you should read through the blog assignment on legislative elections. You should be familiar with my post, the articles I link to, and the comments of your colleagues. In terms of material covered in class, you should be familiar with all of the material on interest groups and political parties (all of lecture notes #2), plus the material on political participation (the start of lecture notes #3) Both sets of lecture notes were/will be distributed in class and are also on the blog. Specifically, from class, you should be familiar with:
Why some interest groups are more likely to form than others (the "Free Rider" problem).
The reasons for the decline of political parties in the states.
The difficulties facing third parties (with perhaps extra emphasis on single member plurality).
Why third parties sometimes overcome these difficulties.
Why voter turnout is higher in some states than it is in others.
I will have my usual office hours on Monday and Wednesday, from 1:45 to 3:20, in case you want to ask questions. You can also email them to me at the email address on the syllabus (berchnorto@msn.com). Finally, you can use the comments section on this thread for questions. You'll then be able to ask your questions on the blog and read my answers to questions from other students in the class. Email and online questions must be asked by 9 pm on Tuesday, February 25. Good luck!
Based upon the example that Dr. NB gave in class this past Monday concerning the free rider is my thought which I hope is going towards the right direction of the free rider idea. The free rider is the system whereby we as students do not go to Charleston and protest for lowering the tuition price because it is assumed that the opportunity cost of going will be too much for an individual College Student, right?
ReplyDeleteIt's not just the opportunity cost. It's that people rationally calculate that their individual presence won't make a difference and that they will get whatever it is regardless of whether they join the group (every gets their tuition lowered if students win the fight, not just those who protested). Everyone makes the same calculation, so the group doesn't form.
DeleteBased on Dr. NB lecture why there has been a decline in the party system is that the parties have to raise a lot of funds to fuel the elections. Parties are good at door knocking but not organizing? Parties are good at adapting to the current climate of technology and they have to answer to many interests groups, right?
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DeleteThat's one of many reasons for decline in political parties. As campaign technology has changed, candidates need money (capital) instead of people power (labor). Parties are good at providing labor, but interest groups (PACs) are better at providing money. There are other reasons for the decline of parties, including the move away from smoke-filled rooms, toward open primaries, as well as parties no longer being involved in providing welfare or patronage jobs.
DeleteThe difficulties facing third parties is the rules of the game that the states put up to block these parties from gaining momentum and that is that different states have different rules on how they want to run elections (1) ? Third parties run up against deep entrenched interests namely the republican and democratic parties that do not want them to succeed in elections (2) ? Finally the victor of the election wins the election and single plurality does not show up in the American election process whereby even the losers of the election get some Representation in the congress or state houses (3) ?
ReplyDeleteIt is true that third parties have difficulty in part because elections laws are written and enforced by major parties. They also have difficulty raising money, getting in debates, and getting news coverage because people perceive them as not having a chance to win. Finally, single member plurality (see the blog assignment) means that third parties are often perceived as a wasted vote.
DeleteThe reason why third parties overcome wining elections are the following reason: 1, the candidate has enough money to fund his or her campaign, 2, the people who are running on the democratic and republican tickets are either weak or two extreme, and 3, the opportunity is ripe for the third party candidate to win because the person who holds office is corrupt and the district or country wants a change, right?
ReplyDeleteOr they already are famous and don't need to buy name recognition (like the people who already held office as a member of a major party).
DeleteThe reason why voter turnout is higher in some states is that the state encourages voters to come out and vote rather than registering days if not months prior to the election day? Also voter turnout is larger in some sections of the country because the people live in a Moralistic culture were it is encouraged for the people to get out and vote? Right
ReplyDeleteThose are two good reasons. We'll cover more in class tomorrow.
DeleteI would like to talk about 'Free ride' problem because it's important for society.
ReplyDeleteI like to talk about tuition when it's going to be double in WVU and the student decide to go to Charleston to role the tuition back.
but they are facing problem like Gas student missing class and they may arrest and most of the student thing they wont win so you see there are bad things may happen and the consequence seems not good so student decide to not go even though they have interest to go!
Sometimes big group can overcome free ride problem because of the social sanction or when they break down to small group.
On the other hand business interest group almost always strong like banking group they can overcome free riding problem easily and also they have big social sanction.
So what the pluralist theory telling as may not be right all the time.
Finally it's hard to organize big group and come over free ride problem where every body has a little of interest, and it's easy to organize small group when very body has big interest go participate.
Mustafa Rfat
That's a pretty good explanation.
DeleteThe reason why there is decline in the parties
ReplyDeleteParties used to choose their candidate the leaders come to gather they talk we call it open smoke filled.
In close primary blanket they ask you are you democrat or republican to choose their candidate.
most of the states closed, parties dont like this because they like to loyal candidate.
So open primary is about to decrease the power of the parties which they took it to supreme court. is this right NB?
That's pretty much correct. While the Supreme Court ruled that blanket primaries are unconstitutional, it allowed open primaries (and more states are moving toward those).
DeleteIt's hard to realize that political parties are declining because of lack of campaign. Social media is a powerful source of promoting something and with news stations such as Fox News or MSNBC that are very popular, political yet bias sources of information, I would feel that it would bring awareness of what's going on with each party.
ReplyDeletePeople have lots of information, but parties have less control over it than ever before.
DeleteBased on Dr. NB lecture why there has been a decline in the party system is that the parties have to raise a lot of funds to fuel the elections. Parties are good at adapting to the current climate of technology and they have to answer to many interests groups. It's hard to realize that these are declining. I also believe that the social media is a big source of promoting things and ideas on news stations, political bias information. If more awareness was brought upon about each party people would be more educated on it.
ReplyDeleteAgain, the current climate of technology requires lots of money, not lots of people power. Parties are good at providing people, but interest groups are better (through PACs) at providing money.
DeleteCan someone please explain to me the difference between open vs. smoke-filled rooms? I'm not completely sure if what I have is correct, I was a little lost when he was explaining this.
ReplyDeletePrimaries have become "open" in two different senses. First, instead of candidates being chosen by party leaders in so-called "smoke-filled rooms", now most states choose party candidates for the November election using a primary. This reduces party influence.
DeleteAlso, there has been a shift from closed primaries (where only people registered with a particular party can vote in that party's primary) to open primaries (where you decide on the day of the primary which party's primary you want to vote in). This also reduces the power of parties.
I am having trouble understanding the free rider problem as well.
ReplyDeleteWhy are some interest groups more likely to form than others
DeleteTo answer both of your questions, while pluralist theory suggests that every interest forms an interest group, the free rider problem shows that this is not always the case. People acting rationally calculate that participating in a group where you'll get the benefit of its success no matter what, and where nobody knows whether you participate, is not rational. Since everyone does the same calculation, the group never forms. A good example would be the one I used in class about a potential "milk drinkers" group. Large groups have a harder time forming, but smaller groups (like one of a handful of dairy farmers) would have an easier time because each potential member might think their participation might matter, and because potential members can monitor others' participation and apply social sanctions to those who don't participate.
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