Professor Adam Brown (about me)
Email: brown@byu.edu
Office phone: (801) 422-2182
Office: 772 KMBL

Current syllabus: https://adambrown.info/p/courses/2023/fall/110
Syllabus version: December 4th, 2023

Office hours and review sessions. See the online version of the syllabus for current office hours.

Office hours and review sessions. Drop into office hours for one-on-one help or attend a review session for group help, ending when questions cease. Email for an appointment if you need to see a specific person whose usual hours conflict with your schedule.

Teaching assistants. See the online version of the syllabus for TA names and contact information.

What's this course about?

The university catalog provides this description for Poli 110: "Origin and development of federal Constitution; national, state, and local governments and politics." To cover all that, I have organized this course into three major units:

• Political development. Origin of US and state constitutions. Subsequent changes, especially with federalism and rights.
• Political behavior. How voters learn and choose. The role of candidates and parties.
• Political institutions. The legislative, judicial, and executive branches, with comparison to states and other countries.

Along the way, we will satisfy the social science general education requirement by discussing methods and theories used to study human behavior. Combined with a course on US history or economics, this course also satisfies the American heritage GE requirement. All the above motivates this course's official learning outcomes:

• Analyze current events in American politics using political science concepts.
• Describe the most important Constitutional provisions in American government and how they have changed over time.
• Assess the functions and interactions of American political institutions at the national and state levels.
• Explain the role individuals play in American national and state government and what factors influence their behavior.
• Evaluate how you as an individual can effectively participate in the political process.

Required materials

Download free electronic copies of required books using this link: https://reserve.lib.byu.edu/course/50847/

Required: Kernell et al., The Logic of American Politics, 10th, 9th, or 8th edition. Download a free PDF (10e) through course reserve or buy used: 10e, 9e, 8e. Examples change in each edition, but core concepts change minimally. Caveat, though this has never arisen: Relying on an older edition does not provide grounds to appeal an exam question. Find practice quizzes at the book's website.

Required: Brown, Utah Politics and Government. We will use Utah's political system as a comparison point to the national one. Free PDF through course reserve or, if you prefer, buy on Amazon.

Required: You must follow American political news. Sign up for "The Morning," free from the New York Times, to ensure you see all stories I might use in quizzes. The newsletter is free, but clicking links to the NYT website will lead to a paywall. Consider a student subscription, or just ensure you read details about stories that appear in The Morning from other outlets. I have no particular attachment to the Times. Consume news from a variety of mainstream sources.

Optional: If you wish, consider these: American History: A Very Short Introduction and American Politics: A Very Short Introduction.

Assignments and policies

12%	Quizzes (in class)
18%	Enrichment papers (download instructions  and submit online)
20%	Midterm 1
20%	Midterm 2
29%	Final exam (29% = 20% new material + 9% comprehensive)
1%	Completion of student ratings

You are responsible for all information in this syllabus, recognizing that a syllabus is a plan, not a contract. Check Learning Suite or your email/spam daily for announcements. Visit me or a TA with questions.

Course website. You will submit assignments through this website. Using the menu at the top or bottom of this page, click "log in" then "what's my password" to reset your password. Contact me with questions.

Attendance. I expect but do not require live attendance. When needed, join by Zoom (meeting 977 2133 8471, code poli110) or get recordings via Learning Suite (click "Online" then "Cloud Recordings"). If the technology fails, get notes from a classmate. You will almost certainly earn a better grade if you attend live.

Keep your peers healthy. Stay home if you experience vomiting, nausea, coughing, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, fatigue, or other symptoms of flu, covid, strep, RSV, or other illness. Overnight vomiting is usually norovirus, not food poisoning; stay home. A negative flu or covid test is not license to spread a bad cold; stay home. Wash hands often, keep vaccines current, and stay home when sick. Keep TAs and me healthy too; we will gladly meet with sick students via Zoom rather than in-person if you email for an appointment.

In-class quizzes. Research shows that frequent low-stakes quizzes improve learning. In-class quizzes emphasize readings, recent lectures, and current events. To keep stakes low, I award several points simply for participating in each quiz. I administer quizzes using Kahoot. Use your netID as your Kahoot nickname or you will not receive credit. For flexibility with illness, emergencies, disability, or official travel, I drop your four lowest (or missed) quizzes; if excusable reasons cause you to miss more than I drop, contact me.

Enrichment papers. You will submit several short enrichment papers (instructions ). For each, you will complete a brief activity then connect it intelligently to course material. If your average after 6 submissions exceeds 87%, I will bump you to 100%, making this functionally pass/fail as long as you do good work. To even out different grading styles, you do not have a set TA; for each paper, TAs receive a random batch to grade.

Late papers. Submit assignments as PDFs using this interface. I consider assignments due by the close of the business day (4:45pm) so I can help you if technical or website issues arise. As a grace period, I do not assess late penalties until midnight. However, if a technical problem after 4:45pm renders you unable to submit without my help, you will incur a late penalty. I deduct 10 percentage points per weekday, up to 3 weekdays and 30 points. If health, disability, or emergency delays you, contact me as soon as you can. Late penalties are to keep you current, not to punish you when life happens.

Paper appeals. TAs and I are happy to discuss ways to improve future papers, which is usually more productive than revisiting past grades. Still, I value fair and consistent grading, so I take appeals seriously. Because an average above 87% gets bumped to full credit, I will only consider appeals that affect your ability to stay above this average, since any other appeal is moot. Appeals must come to me, not a TA. Wait 24 hours after receiving your grade; re-read the assignment instructions, your submission, and grader comments; then, within two weeks, send me a one-sentence email requesting a review, no justification needed. I will read the paper without checking the grade and assign a score—which stands, whether higher or lower. If there are many appeals, I may first refer your essay to a new TA, reviewing it myself only if the two TA scores differ.

Exams. Open-ended writing is confined to enrichment papers. Exams are multiple choice, untimed, and in the Testing Center. After each exam, I will review each questions's statistics and inform you if I drop faulty questions.

Content of exams. I prepare one question bank based only on readings—proportionate to pages, so mostly but not exclusively from the textbook—and another based only on lectures. I intend for all questions to link to the terms or review questions found in the textbook and lecture slides; for non-textbook readings, I intend for all questions to link to the study questions that appear in the schedule below. I draw half the questions from the reading bank and half from the lecture bank, with a similar number of questions for each day of class. To the extent that readings and lectures overlap, the banks will overlap also, but remember that each tends to contain some amount of unique material. Thus, you can probably earn a C without doing any readings, but you are unlikely to do much better. See "Tips for Success" below for ideas on reading the textbook more effectively.

Missed exams: Email me beforehand if you will miss an exam. If you miss due to emergency, contact me promptly.

Final exam mercy rule: If you do better on the final than on one or both of the midterms, then whichever midterm you perform worst on will have its weight reduced by 5 percentage points and the final will have its weight increased by 5 percentage points.

Disabilities. You deserve an equal chance. Please find the "Inclusion, accessibility, and discrimination" heading below.

University-excused absences. I treat university travel the same as other excusable absences, such as illness. I do not need to see your travel letter unless you need to reschedule an exam or official travel will cause you to miss more quizzes than I drop. Visit me with questions.

A tip. Some students unwittingly belittle my female colleagues by calling them "Sister" while calling men "Professor" or "Doctor"; don't. (Nearly all BYU faculty hold doctorates. "Doctor" means "teacher" or "learned one" and was used by scholars for centuries before physicians coopted the title. It is related to "doctrine," meaning "that which is taught," hence "doctorate.")

Getting help

Times and locations of office hours and review sessions appear at the top of this syllabus.

Office hours provide drop-in opportunities for help from me or a teaching assistant (TA), no appointment needed. If you need to meet a specific person whose hours conflict with your schedule, email for an appointment. TAs can help you with almost anything I can—test prep, studying, papers. Only questions about disability accommodations, emergencies, or other personal matters need come directly to me.

Office hours are not limited to course-specific questions. I especially encourage first-generation students and students who feel they are scraping by at the margins to come visit me or a TA, even if all you want is to introduce yourself. We are on each other's team.

Review sessions: We will hold several review sessions. We might open by briefly highlighting essential or confusing material, but we mostly take questions. Sessions adjourn when questions stop.

Help with papers. Come early, even with only an outline, since a good discussion early on usually improves your argument more than asking me or a TA to read a complete draft. If you mostly want help with grammar, visit the FHSS writing lab or the BYU writing center.

TA boundaries. It is inappropriate to ask a TA on a date or offer a gift before grades are posted. It is also inappropriate to pay a TA for tutoring; their services are free. TAs are your peers; treat them kindly, directing any frustrations toward me, not them.

Difficulty, grade cutoffs, curving, and workload

Is this a weeder class? No. Weeders ensure only certain students enter a certain major. If your major requires "pre-major" courses, those are weeders. You can fail Poli 110 and still declare in political science. I am under no obligation to fail some percentage of you.

Can non-majors succeed? Yes. Only 5-15% of Poli 110 students are majors. Majors who take this course perform no better on average than non-majors, nor do seniors perform better than freshmen. In introductory GE courses, grades heavily reflect effort and dedication.

So grades are based on effort? No. But consider counsel from Thomas S. Monson: "Thinking is the hardest work anyone can do, which is probably the reason why we have so few thinkers.... What the public takes for brilliance is really the result of thorough, painstaking investigation and downright hard work" (from "Constant Truths," Pathways to Perfection).

Do you curve? Uncurved cutoffs are 93.0 A, 90.0 A-, 87.0 B+, 83.0 B, etc. I never curve down. At the end of the semester, I curve up if needed by lowering cutoffs to ensure at least a quarter earn an A- (or better) and at least two-thirds earn a B-. I do not assign grades below C- to anyone who attends regularly, completes all work, and otherwise shows evidence of real effort.

How much should I study? "The expectation for undergraduate courses is three hours of work per week per credit hour for the average student who is appropriately prepared; much more time may be required to achieve excellence" (source). BYU defines an A as "excellent," a B as "good," and a C as "satisfactory." Thus, an "average student" should plan 9 hours/week, but "much more time may be required" to "achieve excellence" (an A). College classes assume more work outside class than in. In high school, a typical AP US Government class has 180 hours of classroom time (5 hours per week, 36 weeks) to cover less material than we cover in 42 lecture hours.

Tips for success

Performing well requires (1) comprehending course material and (2) retaining what you have comprehended. Reexposure (reviewing notes, re-reading books, attending reviews) boosts comprehension, but research shows that retention requires different strategies.

Improving comprehension of lectures.

• Slides are visual aids, not notes. Take your own notes, but do not transcribe every word. Make an outline and write down the most important points. Check the terms lists and review questions I provide and ensure you got it all.
• You're paying to be in class. Get your money's worth by minimizing distractions. Put your phone away. If you choose to take notes on an electronic device, close other programs.
• Consider taking STDEV 109 ("Effective Study and Learning") to improve your note-taking skills.

Improving comprehension of readings.

• Textbooks aren't novels, so don't read them the same way. First, skim. Read the introduction and conclusion, then read headings, bold/highlighted text, tables, figures, etc. Read the chapter's terms list and review questions. Prime your mind to recognize what's important. Second, read. Speed up for easy material and slow down for hard stuff. Third, skim again. Review the introduction and conclusion. Stop at each heading and try recalling that section's main point. Quiz yourself on the terms and review questions.
• For non-textbook readings, find the central point. Practice summarizing these readings in 1-2 sentences per assigned page. I usually include notes in the syllabus telling you what to look for.
• Find a place to study without distractions. Turn off your wifi and put away your phone.
• Catching up is harder than staying current. Use the reading load planner to plan ahead for big days.
• Consider taking STDEV 205 ("Success in College Reading") or STDEV 305 ("Advanced Strategies for College Success") to learn speed-reading and other skills.

Improving retention. Retrieval aids retention more than reexposure does. Your study should include only enough reexposure to ensure comprehension; after that, emphasize retrieval as your study strategy. Retrieval means forcing yourself to try remembering something. Retrieval boosts learning even more when you retrieve regularly. Retrieving for 15 minutes three times a week is more effective than retrieving for 60 minutes once a week. Ideas:

• Raise your hand often in class or participate regularly in a study group, both to ask questions and to participate in discussions. Formulating ideas in your own words is a powerful retrieval exercise.
• Use terms lists and review questions to quiz yourself. Do not check yourself against your notes until you have finished the day's list.
• Use the textbook's website. It has flashcards, practice quizzes, and other retrieval exercises.
• Give yourself 5 timed minutes after class to see how much you can write about the day's material from memory.
• From memory, write down 5 things you learned after each lecture or after each reading.
• Set up a schedule for these exercises. For example, a couple hours after each lecture, take 5 minutes retrieving that day's material, 5 minutes retrieving the previous day's material, and 5 minutes retrieving the lecture before that.
• Power tip: Meet with 2-3 peers each week. Explain review questions and terms out loud in your own words. Argue about what was most important; defending a position is the supreme retrieval exercise. Write mock exam questions for one another.
• Some of these tips come from Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning.

Improving your writing. Writing in the social sciences usually requires defending a position. Enrichment papers are less rigorous than upper-division writing, but your analysis section should still have a point that you defend with clear logic.

• Read the assignment instructions carefully before beginning and again before submitting. Ask questions.
• Consider why you might be wrong. Invite a rebuttal from a friend, a TA, or me.
• Proofread, proofread, proofread. Read your work out loud. Don't let errors or awkward phrasing obscure your ideas. Visit the FHSS writing lab or BYU writing center for help with grammar, organization, and mechanics.
• Finish your draft a couple days before the deadline so you can come back to it with fresh eyes.
• Unintentional plagiarism is still plagiarism. Read the plagiarism policy below and visit office hours with questions.

General suggestions

• When you have questions, ask. Take advantage of office hours and review sessions.
• Take breaks from school—short ones each day, and longer ones each week. Your mind needs rest. Sometimes "we have to forego some good things… to choose others that are better". Education is good, but leave time to socialize, worship, serve, and relax.
• Exercise, eat nutritious food, and develop healthy sleep habits to "find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge." I like Diet Coke too, but it's a sometimes drink. Your mind will not function as well on caffeine as on appropriate food, exercise, and sleep.
• I am so glad you are reading these tips. To reward you for reading the syllabus, I will drop one additional quiz if you enter your student ID number into this form by September 12.

A matter of a few degrees. Consider a true story related by Dieter Uchtdorf:

In 1979 a large passenger jet with 257 people on board left New Zealand for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica and back. Unknown to the pilots, however, someone had modified the flight coordinates by a mere two degrees. This error placed the aircraft 28 miles to the east of where the pilots assumed they were. As they approached Antarctica, the pilots descended to a lower altitude to give the passengers a better look at the landscape. Although both were experienced pilots, neither had made this particular flight before, and they had no way of knowing that the incorrect coordinates had placed them directly in the path of Mount Erebus.... By the time the instruments sounded the warning that the ground was rising fast toward them, it was too late. The airplane crashed into the side of the volcano, killing everyone on board.

It was a terrible tragedy brought on by a minor error—a matter of only a few degrees.... Remember: the heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways...

Though he had a different point, we can apply this story to school: Good scores don't go to those who never make mistakes, but to those who recognize when they go off course and take prompt corrective action. If an exam or paper early in the course comes back with a lower score than you hoped, then come get help. Don't wait for a volcano to fill your windshield.

Honesty and plagiarism

Writing submitted for credit must consist of your own ideas presented in your own language. When appropriate, you may include ideas from others if clearly identified by appropriate introduction ("According to...") and citation. Direct language must additionally appear in quotation marks. Take care while gathering material for your papers to track sources and to differentiate quotations you have jotted down from paraphrases you have written. Do not copy language from chatbots. Even unintentional plagiarism has consequences. Violations may result in a failing grade on an assignment or in the course. Serious violations may result in university action. Read more in the university catalog. A thesaurus does not eliminate plagiarism. Please review this short infographic about plagiarism  by Emily Myers.

Inclusion, accessibility, and discrimination

"We strive to create a community of belonging composed of students, faculty, and staff whose hearts are knit together in love. ... We value and embrace the variety of individual characteristics, life experiences and circumstances, perspectives, talents, and gifts of each member of the community and the richness and strength they bring to our community" (BYU Statement on Belonging). "The Lord expects us to teach that inclusion is a positive means toward unity and that exclusion leads to division" (Elder Gary Stevenson).

Mental health and stress management

Many lifelong mental illnesses emerge in adolescence and early adulthood. If you experience frequent sadness, worry, fear, inability to focus, nightmares, forgetfulness, or mood changes; if you are withdrawing socially by avoiding friends and activities; if you experience significant changes in sleeping or eating habits; if you are abusing alcohol, medications, or other substances; or if you are thinking about hurting yourself, then please talk to somebody. Mental health concerns, crime, family problems, and stressful life events can affect students' academic performance and quality of life. BYU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS, 1500 WSC, 801-422-3035, caps.byu.edu) provides confidential counseling and stress management services for free to full-time students. For immediate concerns visit help.byu.edu.

Marginalized groups

President Nelson has taught, "The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God's children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent! During the Savior's earthly mission, He constantly ministered to those who were excluded, marginalized, judged, overlooked, abused, and discounted. As His followers, can we do anything less?" He also taught, "Any abuse or prejudice towards another because of nationality, race, sexual orientation, gender, educational degrees, culture or other significant identifiers is offensive to our maker."

Elder Ballard has taught, "I want anyone who is a member of the Church, who is gay or lesbian, to know I believe you have a place in the kingdom and recognize that sometimes it may be difficult for you to see where you fit in the Lord’s Church, but you do. We need to listen to and understand what our LGBT brothers and sisters are feeling and experiencing." He has also taught, "We need to ... eliminate any prejudice, including racism, sexism, and nationalism. ... [T]he blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ are for every child of God."

People may feel vulnerable or marginalized at BYU due to their race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religious views, age, and so on. Join me in creating a compassionate learning environment where "all may be edified by all." Please visit with me if I may help you.

Accommodating disabilities

BYU is committed to providing a learning atmosphere that reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Examples include vision or hearing impairments, physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, emotional disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety), learning disorders, and attention disorders. If you have a disability that impairs your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the University Accessibility Center (UAC) to request a reasonable accommodation. The UAC can also assess students for learning, attention, and emotional concerns. Going further: If you have a disability, please visit the UAC to request an accommodation letter, which will spare you from needing to explain yourself over and over to each of your instructors. The letter will not disclose your disability, and I will not ask, but it will recommend to your instructors appropriate accommodations. Even if you are still waiting on the UAC letter, please talk to me about appropriate accommodations.

Title IX and sex discimination

In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, BYU prohibits unlawful sex discrimination against any participant in its education programs or activities. The university also prohibits sexual harassment—including sexual violence—committed by or against students, university employees, and visitors to campus. Dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking are also prohibited forms of sexual misconduct. University policy requires all university employees in a teaching, managerial, or supervisory role to report all incidents of sexual misconduct that come to their attention in any way, including but not limited to face-to-face conversations, a written class assignment, class discussion, email, or social media post. (This means I am a mandatory reporter; if you are unsure what that means, please ask.) Incidents of sexual misconduct should be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at t9coordinator@byu.edu, 801-422-8692, https://titleix.byu.edu/report or (24 hours) 1-888-238-1062. BYU offers confidential resources for those affected by sexual misconduct, including the university's Victim Advocate. Find further information at http://titleix.byu.edu.

Reading schedule

Dates and deadlines are subject to change. You can also view the reading schedule in calendar format.

• Unit 1. Introduction to political science

• Wed, Sep 6th, 2023. Course overview. What is politics, and why should you care?
  Terms	politics; policy; false consensus bias
  Readings 12 pages	Read all preceding information in this syllabus. (Watch for valuable easter eggs.) [8 pages] Review BYU's mission and aims, then read DC 88:74-80. Why does a school with BYU's mission require this course? How will "a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms" help make you "prepared in all things" (DC 88)? [2 pages] AP (2023), Lawyers blame ChatGPT for tricking them into citing bogus case law . [2 pages] Recommended: Utah pp xiii-xix. Why and how do Americans underestimate the importance of states? Recommended: Use the reading load planner and due date calendar to plan ahead.
  FYI	Complete each day's readings prior to class. "Recommended" means that a reading will broaden your understanding of course material but is not directly assessed on exams.

• Mon, Sep 11th, 2023. The logic of politics. What is social science? Why might rational behavior in an ungoverned environment produce undesirable outcomes? What are the tradeoffs involved in using governmental authority to address these situations?
  Terms	science; social science; theory; hypothesis; coordination problem; prisoner's dilemma; chicken; free rider problem; tragedy of the commons; transaction costs; conformity costs; all terms from textbook
  Readings 35 pages	Logic 10e 1-29 (9e 3-33; 8e 1-30). 10e, 9e, and 8e refer to different editions; read the right pages for your edition. Remember: There is a study site. [28 pages] DC 134. It's as interesting to notice what is not said as what is. For example, there is no judgment between monarchy and democracy. What about this section, whether stated or not, do you find most unexpected? [3 pages] Bednar (2012), "The Powers of Heaven" (or PDF ). Bednar argues two Elders may have the same authority but different power. Applying this logic, why might two presidents have the same authority but different power? [4 pages] Recommended: Click "Show additional resources." Watch each video and see if you can tell what kind of game it is.
  Resources	YouTube: Golden Balls: Split or steal? from 4:00-7:00 YouTube: "The Prisoner's Dilemma" [5:44] YouTube: Dilbert's interrogation [0:57] YouTube: Clip from Rebel without a cause (1955) [3:42] YouTube: Clip from Footloose (1984) [2:37] YouTube: Cuban Missile Crisis in 5 minutes [5:30] YouTube: Fishery management [4:44] YouTube: Public vs private goods [8:13]
  FYI	You will find that I include notes about what to look for in non-textbook readings. For Logic readings, rely on the review questions and terms at the end of each chapter, and definitely check out the study site.

• Unit 2. Political development: Forming a union, and expanding rights and liberties

• Wed, Sep 13th, 2023. The Constitution. How do institutions matter? What was wrong with the Articles? How did context and interests shape the framers' thinking? Why is it hard to know their intent? Why was compromise important in drafting and ratifying the Constitution? Was the Constitution inspired?
  DUE	Get password. You will need a username and password for this website to check grades and submit assignments. Look for the "login" link at the top of the page. (On mobile devices, expand the menu to see it.)
  Terms	institutions; Magna Carta; Glorious Revolution; home rule; Articles of Confederation; Shays's rebellion; Newton's laws; human nature; natural aristocracy; Virginia Plan; New Jersey Plan; three-fifths compromise; plenary power; enumerated powers; separation of powers; federal division of powers; popular sovereignty; rule of law; Bill of Rights; Federalist; Antifederalist; ratification; Federalist Papers; all terms from textbook
  Readings 47 pages	Logic 10e 33-43 (9e 36-46; 8e 33-41) will be review if you have taken US history. Skim, focusing on key terms. Review the 1776 Declaration of Independence  with attention to the first two paragraphs and the last. [4 pages] Logic 10e 43-49 (9e 46-52; 8e 42-47) [7 pages] Review the 1777 Articles of Confederation . What flaws may have led to a desire to replace this first constitution with a new one? For example, take note of what sort of national executive and judiciary the Articles created. [8 pages] Logic 10e 49-56 (9e 52-58; 8e 47-54) [6 pages] Review the 1787 US Constitution  and all amendments. Going forward, I will regularly assign sections of the Constitution that you should read closely. Just skim for now, focusing on the big picture, comparing the Constitution to the Articles of Confederation and Declaration of Independence. What surprises you? Compare section II in the AofC to Article 6 (second paragraph) of the Constitution to see how these two documents differ on state authority, for example. Compare the powers delegated to Congress in the AofC (mainly Article IX) to those listed in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution to see how they differ in the central government's role. There are many such differences. [22 pages]
  FYI	Enrichment 1 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Monday, September 18th. Many browsers choke on large PDFs, especially Safari. If clicking a particular PDF (such as those assigned for today) doesn't seem to work, try right-clicking and choosing "Save link as" to download the file to your device. If you haven't listened to Hamilton soundtrack, let me just say... dude. It's not entirely historical, but it's fun. Here's your preview. (If you look up the album, there are two versions: Explicit and non-explicit.) Learn more in Poli 202, "Western Political Heritage" Learn more in Poli 365, "Early American Political Thought"

• Mon, Sep 18th, 2023. Continued.
  DUE	Enrichment 1. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Readings 40 pages	Logic 10e 56-74 (9e 58-78; 8e 54-72, 79. Pay special attention to Fed 10 and 51; see also the notes below. [18 pages] Logic 10e table 2.3 on p 75 (9e table 2.3 on p 79; 8e table 2.3 on p 72). Read the accompanying text if the table is unclear. [1 page] Oaks (1992), "The divinely inspired Constitution." Memorize the five points he identifies as inspired. Read the Constitution to see what he omits. He stresses that this is his opinion, not an apostolic pronouncement. Thus, reflect: What might you add to, remove from, or change in his list? [8 pages] Lee (1992), "The Constitution and the Restoration." Rex E. Lee was BYU president when he delivered this address. He previously served as Solicitor General of the United States and in other influential positions. Pay special attention to his defense of judicial review (under "Genius Features") and his discussion of the Constitution as "divinely inspired" (under "The Constitution's Significance for Latter-day Saints"). Where do Oaks and Lee agree and disagree? How would you resolve these disagreements? [8 pages] Utah pp 11-15. Why does the Utah Constitution receive so many more amendments than the US Constitution? Because the US Constitution is so much harder to amend, we rely on judicial reinterpretation rather than formal amendments to keep it modern. Should the US Constitution's amendment process be simplified, perhaps to look more like Utah's, so that we can shift to updating it through formal amendments rather than judicial fiat? [5 pages]
  Resources	Brutus (1787), Anti-federalist #3, November 15, 1787  [5 pages] Madison (1787), Federalist #10 (Appendix 4 in Logic) [4 pages] Madison (1787), Federalist #51 (Appendix 5 in Logic) [3 pages]
  FYI	Federalist 10 and 51 address concerns about representation and factionalism raised by the antifederalist Brutus. Federalist 10 presents the proposed union's vast size as a safeguard against factionalism, turning Brutus's argument on its head; since larger unions have more factions competing for influence, Madison argues, it is less likely that any one faction will dominate. Federalist 51 emphasizes the proposed Constitution's checks and balances, both horizontal (executive-judicial-legislative) and vertical (federalism), to argue that the Constitution will effectively prevent any narrow interest from taking over the whole thing. Take care to understand discussion of these important essays in Logic. To go the extra mile, click "show additional resources" for the full text of these essays, and also of the Brutus essay they respond to. To what extent do these two essays fail to address some of Brutus's concerns? Most importantly, consider: Madison's defense of the Constitution did not foresee the emergence of two national political parties. Does his argument in Federalist 10 still work if two parties organize diverse factions into two umbrella coalitions? Does his argument in Federalist 51 still work if a single party can control multiple branches of government, subverting checks and balances? How might Madison and others have designed the national government differently if the two-party system were already established?

• Wed, Sep 20th, 2023. Federalism and centralization. What is federalism? Why has power grown centralized (or nationalized) over time?
  Terms	state; unitary; confederal; federal; dual federalism; shared federalism; centralization; supremacy clause; necessary and proper clause; commerce clause; McCulloch v Maryland; Gibbons v Ogden; all terms from textbook
  Readings 40 pages	Utah pp 17-23, 30-31, 134-8. Ch 2 key concepts: unitary, confederal, federal, shared federalism, dual federalism, necessary and proper clause, commerce clause, Tenth Amendment, matching grant (e.g. Medicaid), block grant (e.g. TANF), Tea Party. How does Utah's distinctive history shape state-federal relations? How might state-federal relations be different in New York or Texas? Ch 9 key concepts: unitary governance, political subdivisions, Dillon's rule, preemption laws. If you are interested in national parks, forests, national monuments, and other public lands, read the unassigned portions of chapter 2 also. [13 pages] Logic 10e 93-103 (9e 96-107; 8e 86-96) overlaps lots with Utah. Skim after Utah and lecture for anything we missed. Logic 10e 103-128 (9e 107-130; 8e 96-118) [25 pages] US Constitution , Articles IV and VI, Amendments 9-11, 16-17 [2 pages]
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 311, "State and Local Politics" Learn more in Poli 325, "Politics of Wilderness, National Parks, and Public Lands" Learn more in Poli 420, "Constitutional Law: American Federal System"

• Mon, Sep 25th, 2023. Civil rights. How are the terms "civil rights" and "civil liberties" used differently? Why did the same northern Republicans who waged the Civil War, ended slavery, and enacted the 13th-15th amendments later tolerate the rise of segregation and Jim Crow? Why did the successful civil rights litigation of the 1950s have so little impact prior to the 1960s civil rights movement? How did the civil rights movement of the 1960s overcome free rider problems?
  Terms	civil rights; civil liberties; procedural equality; substantive equality; 13th amendment; 15th amendment; Civil Rights Act; Voting Rights Act; Plessy v Ferguson; NAACP; Brown v Board of Education; segregation; Martin Luther King; busing; affirmative action; de facto; de jure; all terms from textbook
  Readings 42 pages	Logic 10e 134-136, 161b, 164b, 166b, 167b, 171-181 (9e 138-140, 164b, 166b, 168b, 170b, 173-182; 8e 126-28, 149b, 151b, 153b, 154b, 158-67). "166b" means the box on 166. Read the whole chapter if you can. [16 pages] Salt Lake Tribune (2021), See the maps: Where redlining happened in Utah [3 pages] DC 101:76-80. What is the "purpose" in DC 101:80? (Hint: Read the preceding verse.) [1 page] US Constitution , Amendments 13, 14, and 15 [1 page] Readings above emphasize the history and (especially) politics of civil rights. Readings below are different, inviting you to ponder how we may better follow Christ's admonition to "love one another." As one individual quoted in readings below observes, "The type of racism that Black faculty and students at BYU experience may not always be overt.... Instead, most of it is subtle. I think individuals at BYU have really great hearts..., but sometimes there's a lack of understanding around the issues that impact ... minorities, which can cause pain." As another writes, "The same community that made me feel like a superstar often simultaneously made me feel broken, unloved and defective. There are many people like me who suffer in silence.... There are many who feel misunderstood and heartbroken. We never know who around us might be wearing a mask." President Nelson has taught, "Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent! During the Savior's earthly mission, He constantly ministered to those who were excluded, marginalized, judged, overlooked, abused, and discounted. As His followers, can we do anything less?" I hope few in this class experience overt prejudice, yet lack of understanding is enough to cause pain. I therefore assign the following as an introduction to what some of your peers have experienced. Particularly if you come form a historically privileged class (e.g. white, male, non-disabled, straight, and especially all at once), consider: What steps can you take to better understand those at BYU and elsewhere whose backgrounds or experiences are profoundly different from yours? BYU Magazine (2020), "Black at BYU." [8 pages] Bird (2019), "Everyone loved me as Cosmo the Cougar, but would they love who I was behind the mask?" [2 pages] Gray for LDS Church (2018), "Healing the Wounds of Racism." [1 page] Oaks (2020), "Racism and Other Challenges." Why does President Oaks say "Black lives matter ... is an eternal truth all reasonable people should support"? What "textual stains" does he identify in the US Constitution? When he urges "us all to heed our prophet's call to repent, to change, and to improve," what sin does he refer to? [10 pages] Recommended: Lincoln, a 2012 film showing just how difficult it was to end slavery. Though Congress is very different now, Lincoln also accurately depicts the 19th-century Congress. Recommended: Huntsman (2018), "Hard Sayings and Safe Spaces" Recommended: LDS Church, "Race and the Priesthood" (If you see only a couple paragraphs, click "read more.") Take special note of this statement: "Over time, Church leaders and members advanced many theories to explain the priesthood and temple restrictions. None of these explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church." Later: "Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form." If you ever hear somebody bring up old LDS racial teachings, point them to this disavowal and to the 9th article of faith. Recommended: LDS Church, "Revelations in context: Witnessing the faithfulness"
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 323, "Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in American Politics" Learn more in Poli 342, "Gender and Politics" Learn more in Poli 421, "Constitutional Law: Rights and Immunities"

• Wed, Sep 27th, 2023. Civil liberties. What are the rights and duties of an American citizen? How have your liberties evolved over time? When are restrictions on free speech constitutionally permissible?
  Terms	civil liberties; ex post facto laws; bills of attainder; habeas corpus; 14th amendment; selective incorporation; 1st amendment; freedom of speech; pure political speech; symbolic speech; speech accompanied by disruptive conduct; incitement; all terms from textbook
  Readings 31 pages	Logic 10e 187-197 (9e 186-197; 8e 172-82) [10 pages] Logic 10e 197-208 (9e 197-208; 8e 182-92) overlaps lots with lecture material. Read after lecture as needed. Logic skim 10e 208-228 (9e rest of chapter; 8e 196-210) focusing on the key point of each amendment, with particular attention to equal protection clause, exclusionary rule, Miranda rule, and penumbras [20 pages] US Constitution , Amendments 1, 5, and 14 [1 page] Recommended: Don't talk to the police [46:38]. Despite the provocative title, this is an excellent discussion of criminal process rights, particularly the 5th amendment. Highly recommended if you want to understand why Constitutionally guaranteed rights matter—and why even the innocent need the right to remain silent.
  FYI	Enrichment 2 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Monday, October 2nd. Learn more in Poli 421, "Constitutional Law: Rights and Immunities"

• Mon, Oct 2nd, 2023. Religious liberty. What was the framers' experience with religious liberty? What are the First Amendment's limits?
  DUE	Enrichment 2. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Terms	Toleration Act; establishment clause; free exercise clause; theocracy; de jure establishment; de facto establishment; incidental burden; Lemon test; neutrality test; Main Street Plaza; school prayer; all terms from textbook
  Readings 23 pages	The previous lecture's assigned Logic reading included the portion on religious liberty. Review as needed. Lecture will discuss religious liberty generally. Readings below review the 19th century LDS experience, which preceded incorporation of the First Amendment into the Fourteenth. Thus, the readings do not illustrate principles of modern religious liberty, but rather illustrate how much things have changed, helping you reflect on what an impact selective incorporation has had on American civil liberties by placing a federal floor on state behavior. Utah ch 1 (especially pp 1, 3-11, 15-16). Key concepts: Council of Fifty, Utah War (Johnston's Army, Camp Floyd, Alfred Cumming), Camp Douglas, People's Party, Liberal Party, twin relics of barbarism, Edmunds-Tucker Act. Regardless of whether polygamy is a good idea or not, should the First Amendment protect it (today) among those whose religion allows or requires it? [11 pages] Utah pp 92-96. Key concepts: anticipatory decision making; non-discrimination. This reading relates to our in-class discussion of de facto establishment. [4 pages] DC 121:1-10, 33-40 [1 page] DC 122 [1 page] DC 123 [3 pages] DC 127:1-3 [1 page] DC 135 [1 page] DC 134:4, 9-10 (and section 134 generally). DC 134 is presented as a declaration, not a revelation, written in Kirtland in 1835. How might this declaration have been written differently if it had been adopted in 1844 (after the martyrdom), 1857 (Utah War), 1890 (Edmunds-Tucker Act), 1950s (LDS in cultural mainstream), or today rather than in 1835? Consider LDS priorities and experiences in each era. [1 page] Recommended: Holland (2008), "Lessons from Liberty Jail." Video (44:25) or transcript (or PDF ) Recommended: LDS, "Peace and Violence among 19th-Century Latter-day Saints" Recommended: LDS, "Plural Marriage in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" Recommended: Garr (2009), "Joseph Smith: Campaign for President of the United States" (or PDF ). A brief summary of Joseph Smith's (very) longshot bid for president. Why did JS mount this bid? What were some key parts of his presidential platform? Recommended: LDS, Saints
  Resources	Clark (2005), "'The only game in town': An ACLU perspective," from God and Country: Politics in Utah [16 pages]
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 336, "Government and Religion" Learn more in Poli 421, "Constitutional Law: Rights and Immunities"

• Wed, Oct 4th, 2023. Catch up or review.
  FYI	We will catch up if we are behind. Otherwise, I will just take review questions.

• Mon, Oct 9th, 2023. Woohoo! There is no class today. Take the test in the Testing Center on Friday, Saturday, or Monday. The Testing Center will impose a late fee if you start after 2pm Monday. Check their hours before going.
  DUE	Midterm 1.
  Readings	Exam 1 study guide
  FYI	Expect 75 questions, drawing evenly on lecture and readings. Most students will take 50-70 minutes on this test. I update the exam every year, making it hard for me to predict what the average score will be. If automated scoring tells you that you scored 60% on the exam, don't assume you failed; I may need to drop some questions or apply a curve, but I cannot make those decisions until the test closes and I review scores. If you have questions about whether I curve grades, how you can raise your grade, or the course's overall difficulty level, read through the syllabus once again. It's all covered there. If you have questions, please ask me.

• Unit 3. Political behavior: Public opinion, voting, parties, and interests

• Wed, Oct 11th, 2023. How voters decide. What are the major candidates and themes of recent elections? How informed are voters? How committed are voters to their party? How do voters select a candidate? Does democracy work? Which explanation of vote choice makes the most sense to you?
  Terms	campaigns; fundamentals; sociological model; cross-pressure; opinion leader; minimal effects hypothesis; economic (rational choice) model; calculus of voting; information shortcut; endorsements; partisanship as running tally; psychological model; funnel analogy; partisanship as identity; perceptual screening (also called "selective perception," "motivated reasoning," or "confirmation bias"); all terms from textbook
  Readings 16 pages	Logic 10e 435-450 (9e 431-448; 8e 397-414) [15 pages] This is a joke—or is it? Electoral precedent 2020 [1 page] Read ahead if possible.
  Resources	Positive ads from the 2020 Democratic primary and general election: Video: 2020 Biden primary ad: "Bones" [1:00] Video: 2020 Harris primary ad: "America's promise" [1:45] Video: 2020 Trump (uncontested) primary ad: "Stronger, safer, more prosperous" [0:30] Video: 2020 Biden general ad: "Go from there" [1:00] Video: 2020 Trump general ad: "The best is yet to come" [1:31] Video: 2020 Biden general ad: "Four hours" [1:02] Video: 2020 Trump general ad: "Latinos por Trump" [0:30] Other 2020 ads Video: 2020 Biden primary ad: "Always" [0:30] Video: 2020 Sanders primary ad: "Decimated" [0:30] Video: 2020 Biden general ad: "260,000 words" [1:04] Video: 2020 Trump general ad: "Responsible" [0:30] Video: 2020 Trump general ad: "Kneel" [0:30] Video: 2020 Biden general ad: "Deer in the headlights" [0:52] Video: 2020 Biden general ad: "You can't lead them" [0:50] Video: 2020 Trump general ad: "Bull in a China shop" [0:27] Video: 2020 Biden general ad: "Never see me again" [0:10] In 2020, we saw something unique: A Republican group running ads against a Republican president. Examples: Video: 2020 Lincoln Project ad: Mourning in America [1:00] Video: 2020 Lincoln Project ad: Flag of Treason [1:00] Video: 2020 Lincoln Project ad: War Zone [1:00] Positive 2016 ads: Video: 2016 Rubio ad: "American dream" [1:01] Video: 2016 Clinton ad: "Fighting for you" [0:56] Video: 2016 Trump ad: "Life changing experience" [0:43] Video: 2016 Sanders ad: "America" [1:00] Other 2016 ads: Video: 2016 Cruz primary ad: "Parking lot" [1:00] Video: 2016 Trump primary ad: "Corrupt Marco" [1:00] Video: 2016 Kasich primary ad: "Trump's dangerous rhetoric" [1:06] Video: 2016 Sanders primary ad: "Two visions" [0:30] Video: 2016 Clinton general ad: "Mirrors" [0:30] Video: 2016 Trump general ad: "Two Americas" [0:30] Video: 2016 Clinton general ad: "Role models" [1:00]
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 317, "Public Opinion and Voting Behavior" Learn more in Poli 318, "Campaigns and Elections" Learn more in Poli 324, "Political Psychology"

• Mon, Oct 16th, 2023. Continued.
  Readings 35 pages	Logic 10e 450-466, 475-477, 482-486 (9e 448-466, 475-477, 484-488; 8e 414-31, 439-41, 447-52) [23 pages] Utah review pp 8-11, then read pp 32-38 and 45-49. Key concepts: People's Party, Liberal Party, twin relics of barbarism, Mormon Moment, Heber J Grant and the New Deal, partisan conversion. Why did Utah experience such wild partisan swings after statehood? Why did a religious-partisan cleavage reemerge in the 1970s? In Utah, how does religion compare to ideology as a predictor of partisanship? Interpret these trends in light of the theories we discuss in class, reflecting on the links among attitudes, ideology, and partisanship as defined in Logic. [12 pages]
  Resources	Klein (2020), "Why are liberals more afraid of the coronavirus than conservatives? Covid-19 and the complex politics of fear.". An accessible essay reviewing some of the psychological foundations of ideology, and exploring how "motivated reasoning" (what we called "perceptual screening" in lecture) can cause partisanship to shape our perceptions rather than the other way around. [6 pages] Thomson-DeVeaux (2020), Republicans and Democrats see COVID-19 very differently. Is that making people sick? How partisanship is shaping Americans' response to the pandemic. [8 pages]

• Wed, Oct 18th, 2023. Public opinion polling. How can you assess a poll's trustworthiness?
  Terms	sampling error; population; sample; margin of error; convenience sample; self-selection; non-response error; response rate; weights; measurement error; double barreled question; social desirability bias; Bradley effect; framing; priming
  Readings 17 pages	Best (2001), Damned Lies and Statistics, pp 45-61 . I highly recommend reading all this short, readable book, not just this excerpt. It will increase your confidence when you hear statistical arguments on the news or in political discourse. [17 pages] Recommended: Kristoff (2020), The children of pornhub (this article's relevance will be clearer after the lecture)
  FYI	Enrichment 3 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Monday, October 23rd. Learn more in Poli 317, "Public Opinion and Voting Behavior" Learn more in Poli 318, "Campaigns and Elections"

• Mon, Oct 23rd, 2023. Turnout and engagement. Who votes? Why? Does it matter? Why do Americans seem to know so little about politics? Does it matter? How do voting rules vary in ways that may affect turnout? Which mobilization tactics are most effective?
  DUE	Enrichment 3. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Terms	calculus of voting; civic duty; information costs; civic knowledge; byproduct theory; issue public; participation costs; mobilization; social pressure; all terms from textbook
  Readings 29 pages	Logic 10e 477-482 (9e 477-484; 8e 441-47) [5 pages] Utah pp 39-40, plus chart on 41. Why has turnout in Utah fallen? What could turn this around? [2 pages] Popkin (1993), The Reasoning Voter, ch 2 . Skimmable. More about civic knowledge, byproduct theory, and issue publics. [22 pages]
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 311, "State and Local Politics" Learn more in Poli 317, "Public Opinion and Voting Behavior" Learn more in Poli 318, "Campaigns and Elections" Learn more in Poli 324, "Political Psychology"

• Wed, Oct 25th, 2023. Political parties. Why can there be only two major US parties? Why these parties? What do the Republican and Democratic coalitions look like today? How do presidential nominations work? What makes horse race polling during multicandidate primaries so unreliable?
  Terms	party-in-government; party-as-organization; party-in-electorate; major party; minor party; Duverger's law; majoritarian electoral system; proportional system; wasted vote; Ralph Nader (election of 2000); realignment; party system (1st-6th); Southern strategy; moral issues; polarization; Republican; Democrat; "King Caucus"; nominating convention; primary; 1968 Democratic convention; pledged delegate; superdelegate (or "PLEO"); open primary; closed primary; semi-closed primary; runoff; Howard Dean vs John Kerry (2004); Hillary Clinton vs Barack Obama (2008); Mitt Romney (2012); Donald Trump (2016); all terms from textbook
  Readings 39 pages	Logic 10e 507-545 (9e 513-559; 8e 479-520). Take heart: Much of this overlaps with lecture. [39 pages]
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 150, "Comparative Government and Politics" Learn more in Poli 311, "State and Local Politics" Learn more in Poli 316, "American Political Parties" Learn more in Poli 318, "Campaigns and Elections"

• Mon, Oct 30th, 2023. Continued.

  Readings 26 pages

  Utah pp 39-45, 157-61. Key concepts: caucus-convention system, party delegate, direct primary. What are the three major effects of single-party dominance? Why do we see more factionalism among Utah Republicans than among Republicans nationally? [11 pages] Read the preamble to the 2016 Republican platform  and 2020 Democratic platform . Then, in each platform, read the first full paragraph under each heading or subheading. Get a sense for where each party stands and what its priorities are. (Republicans took the unusual step in 2020 of issuing a statement "enthusiastically support[ing]" whatever Donald Trump's agenda might be rather than issuing a new platform, which is why I give you the 2016 GOP platform here.) [15 pages] Optional: Compare to the 2016 Democratic platform . Optional: Compare to the 2012 Republican national platform  and the 2012 Democratic national platform .

• Wed, Nov 1st, 2023. Interest groups. What is an interest group? Why is it harder for larger interests to organize than narrower ones? Are interest groups good or bad for representative democracy?
  Terms	interest; interest group; insider tactics; lobbying; outsider tactics; grassroots; PAC; superPAC; free rider problem; selective incentive; moral (or "purposive") incentive; all terms from textbook
  Readings 31 pages	Utah pp 87-98. Key concepts: lobbyist, stakeholder, insider tactics, outsider tactics, interest, interest group, anticipatory decision making, non-discrimination ordinance. How does the free rider problem affect which interests form into interest groups? [12 pages] Logic skim all of ch 13; read 10e 555-62, 577-89 (9e 569-75, 592-603; 8e 530-39, 548-57). Understand what a PAC is and does. Understand why smaller interests can often overcome the free rider problem more effectively than broader interests, and how some large interests manage to overcome these problems by invoking moral (or "purposive") incentives or selective incentives. [19 pages]
  FYI	Enrichment 4 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Monday, November 6th. Utah: You will read the rest of this chapter when we cover representation in Congress. It may be easier to read the whole thing now to get the flow of what's going on. Both Utah and Logic make some references to campaign finance issues—that is, to money that individuals or groups give to candidates to finance their campaigns. US law governs contributions to candidates for federal office (Congress/president), while Utah law governs contributions to candidates for state and local office (Legislature/governor/mayor/etc). Thus, discussions of campaign finance in Logic and Utah are discussing different things. Learn more in Poli 313, "Interest Groups"

• Mon, Nov 6th, 2023. Catch up or review.
  DUE	Enrichment 4. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  FYI	We will catch up if we are behind. Otherwise, I will just take review questions.

• Wed, Nov 8th, 2023. Yay! There is no class today. Take the test in the Testing Center on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The Testing Center will impose a late fee if you start after 2pm Friday.
  DUE	Midterm 2.
  Readings	Exam 2 study guide

• Unit 4. Political institutions: The legislative, executive, and judicial branches

• Mon, Nov 13th, 2023. Introduction to Congress.
  Terms	tyranny; efficiency; Congress; legislature; legislator; term length; chamber size; reapportionment; redistricting; all terms from textbook
  Readings 46 pages	US Constitution , Article I, Amendments 16-17 and 27 [6 pages] Logic 10e 231-249, 260-268, 275-277, 291-293 (9e 231-50, 260-68, 274-75, 291-94; 8e 213-29, 241-47, 252-54, 267-70) [31 pages] Utah pp 50-58. Key concepts: General Session, single subject rule, omnibus bill, interim, party caucus, caucus, leadership, standing committee, staff, professional legislature, citizen legislature. The US Congress is the nation's most professionalized legislature, while the Utah Legislature is among the least. What would happen if we switched that? (Remember the "three s's" of legislative professionalism: Salary, Staff, Session length.) Also, what if the US Congress had a single subject rule? [9 pages] Glance at Logic Appendix 6 (Congressional partisanship)
  FYI	Logic: You will read all of the Congress chapter over the next days. I have assigned it out of order, but if that gets confusing, just read it as written. Portions assigned for this lecture deal with the structure and organization of Congress. Remember, the Utah Legislature is an entirely separate organization from the US Congress, with different procedures, offices, and rules. Keep them separate in your mind. Throughout our unit on political institutions, contrast what you learn about Utah institutions (the legislature, governor, state courts, etc) and federal institutions (Congress, president, federal courts, etc). Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each set of institutions. What would happen if the federal government were designed like the Utah government—or vice versa? Does it make sense for Utah and the federal government to have different institutions? That is, is one set of institutions clearly superior, or is one set of institutions more suited to each context? Learn about BYU's best internship: The Utah state legislature internship. I am the faculty advisor for this internship and am happy to answer your questions. Learn more in Poli 315, "Congress and the Legislative Process"

• Wed, Nov 15th, 2023. Elections and representation. When do the "best" candidates run? Who serves in office? What creates the incumbency advantage? What is representation? How do Representatives view constituents? How does the Constitutional structure of Congress influence how Representatives behave?
  Terms	strategic entry; amateur candidate; professional candidate; wave election; incumbent; challenger; open seat; incumbency advantage; reelection incentive; advertising; credit claiming; position taking; geographic constituency; reelection constituency; primary constituency; personal constituency (or "intimates"); issue representation (or "substantive representation"); service representation; budget representation; descriptive representation; delegate; trustee; all terms from textbook
  Readings 34 pages	Before anything else, read the clarifying discussion about campaign finance found below [1 page] Logic 10e 249-252, 486-499 (9e 250-53, 488-93, 498-504; 8e 229-32, 452-58, 462-67) [15 pages] Utah pp 78-87, 96-100. Ch 5 uses "delegate" in two unrelated ways: The delegate-trustee tradeoff, and party delegates. These are different. If you do not understand what a party delegate is from this chapter, see pp 42-43 for a fuller explanation. Key concepts: geographic constituency, reelection constituency, primary constituency, party delegate, delegate-trustee tradeoff. The geographic-reelection-primary constituency framework was originally developed for the US Congress; I adapt it slightly in my book for the Utah context but will give the standard version in lecture when discussing Congress. [15 pages] Utah pp 144-47. How can you most effectively influence local officeholders? [3 pages]
  FYI	Enrichment 5 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Monday, November 20th. Today's readings contain some discussion of campaign finance issues. For the most part, details about campaign finance law are beyond the scope of this course. Here are some clarifications as far as this course is concerned, though. First, federalism. US law governs contributions to candidates for federal office (Congress/president), while Utah law governs contributions to candidates for state and local office (Legislature/governor/mayor/etc). Thus, discussions of campaign finance in Logic and Utah are discussing different things. Second, legal substance. US campaign finance law is much stricter than Utah campaign finance law. In general, Utah law requires candidates for state office only to disclose their donors; you could give a candidate millions of dollars as long as the candidate provides the proper disclosures to the state. US law likewise requires candidates for federal office to disclose their donors, but then it goes further by limiting those donations. The amount rises with inflation, but in general you cannot give more than a few thousand dollars to any particular federal candidate per election cycle. These contribution limits give rise to two important distinctions you will encounter in Logic. Distinction #1: "Hard money" refers to funds given directly to a federal candidate's campaign (subject to contribution limits). "Soft money" refers to funds given to some outside group that will spend that money independently on behalf of a candidate. In the past soft money went to political parties; today, it mostly goes to other entities. Distinction #2: When outside groups spend on behalf of a candidate, it is either a "coordinated expenditure" (outside spending that is coordinated with a candidate's campaign efforts and is therefore legally treated as an in-kind contribution) or "independent campaign spending" (spending by an individual or group in favor of a candidate but without coordinating with the candidate). Independent spending is largely unregulated. Logic goes deeper into the weeds of campaign finance law, but if you understand its discussion of these concepts you are doing fine for purposes of this course. Learn about BYU's best internship: The Utah state legislature internship. Learn more in Poli 315, "Congress and the Legislative Process"

• Mon, Nov 20th, 2023. Legislating. How does a bill become a law? Who is empowered by the legislative process in the US House? In the US Senate? How do initiatives, referendums, and recalls differ? How do initiatives get on the ballot? Should we have a national initiative process?
  DUE	Enrichment 5. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Terms	bill; law; committee; Speaker; conference committee; Rules Committee; open rule; closed rule; modified closed rule; conditional party government; unanimous consent agreement; filling the amendment tree; filibuster; cloture; initiative; direct initiative; indirect initiative; referendum; legislative referendum; popular referendum; recall; all terms from textbook
  Readings 28 pages	Read carefully: Logic 10e 253-60 (9e 253-60; 8e 232-41) [7 pages] Utah pp 65-77 (to contrast with Congress). Key concepts: "procedures create power," partisan batting averages, vetting. Compared to Congress, the Utah Legislature has less partisanship, more bills passed, fewer "no" votes, and much less vetting time. Why? Would you rather have a legislative body like the Legislature or like Congress? Why? [12 pages] Utah ch 6 (to contrast direct and representative democracy). Key concepts: vouchers, direct democracy, initiative, referendum, gun behind the door. Does direct democracy make Utah politics better or worse? Should we have direct democracy at the federal level? [9 pages] Recommended: Logic 10e 276-91 (9e 276-91; 8e 254-67) covers material I will lecture on at length; skim it after lecture to be sure you got it all Recommended: Utah pp 58-65
  Resources	Video: Schoolhouse Rock: I'm just a bill [3:01] Video: I'm just a bill (parody) [0:11]
  FYI	Learn more about direct democracy in Poli 311, "State and Local Politics" Learn more in Poli 315, "Congress and the Legislative Process"

• Mon, Nov 27th, 2023. Executive branch, part 1: The presidency. What do we expect of American presidents? How are our expectations of presidents at odds with their formal powers? How has the presidency evolved over time (Jackson, T Roosevelt, FDR)? How do presidents compensate for their limited formal powers?
  Terms	budget; OMB; veto; veto override; treaty; appointment power; filibuster; chief clerk; bully pulpit; stewardship theory; negotiation; going public; executive order; signing statement; all terms from textbook
  Readings 39 pages	Logic ch 7 especially 10e 300-309, 322-328, 334-336, 342-343 (9e 299-307, 319-26, 332-34, 339-40; 8e 277-82, 290-92, 294-302, 306-7, 311) [19 pages] US Constitution , Article II, Amendments 12, 20, 22, 23, 25 [6 pages] Utah pp 112-15, 119-22 (recommended: ch 7). Key concepts: plural executive vs unitary executive, item veto, full/package veto, veto override, appointment power. Governors vary widely in their powers. Should US presidents share their authority with a plural executive? Should they have an item veto, or should the veto override threshold be changed? Should presidents have appointment power that is more restricted, like the Utah governor's? In general, how does this discussion of gubernatorial power in the states shape your perception of presidential power? [7 pages] Goodwin, "Learning from past presidents," video (19:19) or transcript. If some of her stories sound familiar, that's because she was the consulting historian for the 2012 film Lincoln. [7 pages]
  Resources	Logic, Appendix 6 (party control of Congress and presidency) Logic, Appendix 7 (presidential elections)
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 314, "The US Presidency"

• Wed, Nov 29th, 2023. Executive branch, part 2: The bureaucracy. What is a bureaucracy, and why do we need one? How is the bureaucracy structured, and what are its powers? Why and how have we increased bureaucratic independence? How do Congress and the president control the bureaucracy?
  Terms	bureaucracy; Executive Office of the President; cabinet department; independent agency; merit system; regulation; implementation; oversight; police patrol; fire alarm; Federal Register; OMB; central clearance; all terms from textbook
  Readings 24 pages	Logic, ch 8 especially 10e 351-356, 365-376, 379-380, 385-387 (9e 349-54, 364-66, 367-75, 378-79, 384-86; 8e 319-24, 332, 334-41, 344-45, 349-50) [21 pages] Utah pp 50-52. Key concepts: "Working 4 Utah." How would the federal government be different—and how would the federal bureaucracy's role be different—if Congress were as jealous as the Utah Legislature of its authority? [3 pages]
  FYI	Enrichment 6 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Wednesday, December 6th. Learn more in Poli 314, "The US Presidency" Learn more in Poli 315, "Congress and the Legislative Process" Learn more in Poli 333, "Politics of Bureaucracy"

• Mon, Dec 4th, 2023. The judiciary. How is the federal judiciary structured? How are state judiciaries different? How did federal courts acquire the power to strike down laws?
  Terms	common law; civil law; precedent; stare decisis; statutory law; constitutional law; administrative law; case law; District Court; Circuit Court of Appeals; U.S. Supreme Court; trial court; specialty court; intermediate court of appeals; state supreme court; judicial review; Marbury v Madison; all terms from textbook
  Readings 34 pages	Logic 10e 397-411, 422-432 (9e 394-409, 417-28; 8e 361-74, 383-94; 7e 364-77, 385-96) [27 pages] US Constitution , Articles III, IV, V, and VI [3 pages] Utah pp 123-26. How do state caseloads compare to federal caseloads? Why? Utah is one of several states to experiment with specialized courts (e.g. drug courts, teen courts, mental health courts). Is it a good idea? [4 pages] Recommended: Kerr (2007), How to Read a Judicial Opinion . Kerr (mainly pp 53-61) gives very clear definitions of the complicated terminology we discuss in class, in addition to discussing how cases proceed from trial courts into appeals courts. If today's discussion is at all unclear, read his short essay.
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 311, "State and Local Politics" Learn more in Poli 420, "Constitutional Law: American Federal System" Learn more in Poli 421, "Constitutional Law: Rights and Immunities" Learn more in Poli 364, "Jurisprudence"

• NEXT TIME: Wed, Dec 6th, 2023. Continued. How does the Supreme Court operate? How do Supreme Court justices interpret the Constitution?
  DUE	Enrichment 6. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Terms	decision to decide; rule of four; writ of certiorari; decision on the merits; amicus curiae; majority opinion; dissenting opinion; concurring opinion; originalism; living Constitution; merit plan; all terms from textbook
  Readings 19 pages	Logic 10e 412-422 (9e 409-17; 8e 374-83) [9 pages] Utah pp 126-33. Why does the Utah Supreme Court strike down fewer laws than the US Supreme Court? Understand the merit plan (nominating commission, retention election). What evidence suggests it is the merit plan rather than partisan agreement that promotes consensus on the Utah Supreme Court? How would American politics change if federal judges were selected using the merit plan? What if judges were directly elected instead? [7 pages] Hamilton (1787), The Federalist, #78. Hamilton defends the Constitution's provisions for unelected judges with lifelong tenure. He argues that these provisions will guarantee judicial independence, which he characterizes as desirable under certain conditions. What are the conditions? Are those conditions met today? If not, would it be better if judges ran in elections as Republican or Democratic candidates? [3 pages] We will probably have time to start the next lecture today, so start those readings if possible.
  Resources	Video: Stephen Breyer on Charlie Rose [4:37] Video: Antonin Scalia on judges [1:43]

• Unit 5. Time to declare as a political science major!

• Mon, Dec 11th, 2023. What have we learned?
  DUE	Student ratings. I do not receive your (anonymous) evaluations until after grades are posted, but I do receive a list of participants soon enough to give credit. I appreciate your constructive feedback. https://studentratings.byu.edu/
  Readings 23 pages	Utah ch 11. Key concepts: political subculture, Trump's "tremendous problem" in Utah. How will understanding the delegate-trustee tradeoff help you engage officeholders more effectively? [7 pages] The US Constitution  underlies much of this course's material. Give it another read. Brooks (2019), Our Culture of Contempt . Compare to the First Presidency letter and Oaks talk below. [3 pages] Oaks (2022), Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution. Though Oaks revisits the 5 inspired points he first identified in his 1992 that we read earlier, his point here is different. See section IV: Defending the Constitution "may require changing party support or candidate choices, even from election to election. Such independent actions will sometimes require voters to support candidates or political parties or platforms whose other positions they cannot approve." For context, he gave this talk shortly after Trump incited a riot against Congress seeking to disrupt Congressional certification of the 2020 electoral vote—violence the First Presidency condemned, and which Oaks warned of previously in his October 2020 General Conference address: "We peacefully accept the results of elections. We will not participate in the violence threatened by those disappointed with the [election's] outcome." [5 pages] First Presidency (2023), Political Participation, Voting, and the Political Neutrality of the Church . In light of the Oaks talks, why does this letter call single-party voting a threat to democracy? [2 pages] DC 88:74-80,118 [1 page] DC 93:53 [1 page] DC 98:10 [1 page] DC 121:39-44 [1 page] Though I do not require Logic ch 15, it reviews several concepts from throughout the book, giving them new applications. Reading it will help prepare you for the final, especially the comprehensive portions. Vavreck and Tausanovitch (2019), "It May Not Seem That Way, but Politicians Often Do What Voters Want" (or PDF ). Consider this column in light of all we have discussed. Does American government "work" or not? [2 pages] If America's founders saw our nation today, what would surprise them? What would please or disappoint them? How might Federalists (advocates for a strong, centralized union of people) react differently to what they see than Antifederalists (advocates for a strengthened alliance of states)? What have we learned since 1787 that they did not know, and which might have led them to change parts of the Constitution? What amendments, if any, would you propose to the US Constitution? And now that we have completed this course, how do you react to Dallin H. Oaks's list of 5 fundamental features of the Constitution that strike him as inspired—or to Rex E. Lee's list of genius features? I am happy to discuss the pros and cons of the political science major with you at any time. Also, I train and supervise BYU's interns in the Utah Legislature. Please ask me if you have questions about this internship.
  FYI	If you are unable to sell your hardcopy texts, please consider donating them to me. Next time I teach this course, I will place donated books on reserve in the library. You may drop them at my office after taking the final if you wish

• Wed, Dec 13th, 2023. Catch up or review.
  FYI	We will catch up if we are behind. Otherwise, I will just take review questions.

• Fri, Dec 15th, 2023. Review session
  FYI	10am-12pm in 250 KMBL

• Mon, Dec 18th, 2023. Final exam info. The exam will be in administered by the Testing Center in room TBD throughout finals week (Sat Dec 16 through Thu Dec 21), with no late fees. Check their hours before you go.

  FYI

  Study guide. Behold  Format. The final exam combines a midterm on the last third of the course (75 questions) with comprehensive questions reviewing material from the first two-thirds of the course (30 questions), a total of 105 questions. Scheduling. It is against university policy to give final examinations outside of the scheduled final examination period. Do not make any plans that interfere with the final exam schedule. Please do not ask for exceptions except in the most extenuating medical circumstances (such as a baby's due date during finals week). I am not authorized to grant exceptions to attend weddings or other family events. Review opportunities: Regular office hours and group sessions end on the last day of lecture. I will inform you of any special review opportunities offered after that point.