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

Current syllabus: https://adambrown.info/p/courses/2024/fall/110
Syllabus version: September 16th, 2024

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

All required materials are available at no cost to you.

Kernell et al., The Logic of American Politics, 10e. Free PDF through course reserve or Learning Suite. Referenced below as Logic. Buy it on Amazon if you like, but I will assign only part of it. Those desiring further background should read all of this excellent but dense book.

Backgrounders  and Readings . I used to rely heavily on Logic but will experiment this semester with two less dense alternatives that remain works in progress. Readings contains material from diverse authors. Backgrounders contains general overviews for topics that benefit from a textbook-style introduction. Both are ordered as you will encounter material in the syllabus. If this experiment succeeds, I may eventually expand these so I can stop using Logic at all.

Brown, Utah Politics and Government. We will read excerpts from this book as we use Utah's political system as a comparison point to the national one. Free PDF through course reserve or Learning Suite. Also at Amazon if you prefer hard copy. Referenced below as Utah.

Sign up for two daily newsletters: "The Morning" (New York Times) and "WSJ Politics and Policy" (Wall Street Journal). Peruse both daily. Both are free, but following links will lead to a paywall. BYU provides free NYT access. For the WSJ, consider a student subscription. The NYT and WSJ are the most widely read newspapers among national policymakers of both parties—particularly the NYT. Unlike other readings, political news will not appear on exams, only on in-class quizzes.

Optional: For more background, consider American History: A Very Short Introduction or American Politics: A Very Short Introduction.

Assignments and policies

11%	Quizzes (in class)
20%	Enrichment papers (download instructions  and submit online)
20%	Midterm 1
20%	Midterm 2
29%	Final exam (29% = 20% new material + 9% comprehensive)

You are responsible for all information in this syllabus, recognizing that a syllabus is a plan, not a contract. Check Learning Suite and 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 track live attendance. When needed, join by Zoom (meeting 977 2133 8471, code poli110) or get archived 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 contagious 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 political news. To keep stakes low, I award several points simply for participating. For flexibility with illness, emergencies, disability, pregnancy, and student athletes, I drop your four lowest (or missed) quizzes. If you have more excusable absences than this, contact me.

Using Kahoot. I administer quizzes using Kahoot. To receive credit, set your Kahoot nickname as the first two letters of your last name (as shown on my roster at the beginning of the semester), then the last 4 digits of your student ID number (found on your BYU ID card). If your last name were Brown with ID 12-345-6789, you would use br6789. If Kahoot crashes on you mid-quiz, re-join (from another device or an incognito tab) using a new nickname (e.g. br6789Again), and email me promptly with both Kahoot IDs so I can link your responses.

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

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 website issues arise. As a grace period, I do not assess late penalties until midnight. However, if a technical problem in the evening 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, since late penalties are only meant 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 only consider appeals that affect your ability to stay above this average; 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 a week, 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. The study guide  provides terms and review questions for lectures and readings. Expect a similar number of questions for each day's material. Expect also a similar number of questions from lecture as from readings. Lectures and readings overlap enough that you can probably get a C if you study only one or the other, but they are distinct enough that it will be hard to do much better.

Missed exams: Email me a week beforehand if you must miss for an excusable reason. If you miss due to emergency, contact me promptly.

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. See also the dropped quizzes policy. 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 final 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-. These are floors, not ceilings; I have cheerfully given more As and Bs when earned. Because this is an introductory course, I do not assign grades below C- to anyone who attends regularly and completes all work with evidence of sincere 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.
• Research shows that taking shorter notes by hand results in more learning than taking lengthier ones on a computer.
• 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 and similar writings 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, and other distinctive material. Check the study guide  so you know what to look for, priming 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 using the study guide.
• For short readings, find the central point and practice summarizing it in 1-2 sentences per page.
• 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.
• Take 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. Doing so will teach you to identify and correct weak writing yourself without relying on AI or other tools.
• 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, plagiarism, and artificial intelligence

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, including language generated by AI, 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. 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.

Using AI in writing. You may have employers who encourage use of AI tools to speed your writing. Writing serves a different purpose in a business than in a classroom, however. Businesses write to efficiently accomplish a task; students write to master new ways of thinking. Unless specified otherwise, you must do your own brainstorming, research, writing, and revising. Using AI for these purposes without specific authorization violates the definition of plagiarism given in the preceding paragraph and will therefore result in a failing grade and referral to the Honor Code Office.

Other uses of AI. Do not treat generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini as search engines or trust them to explain a difficult concept. AI tends to hallucinate (that is, make things up), especially when it moves from bland generalities to concrete details, but it writes so authoritatively that you may believe what it tells you. When I asked a well-known AI tool to answer a sample of questions from one of my exams, it did poorly. You will receive more reliable assistance if you come to office hours.

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, mobility limitations, 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 I learn you have been a victim or perpetrator of prohibited conduct, I must report it.) 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

• Thu, Sep 5th, 2024. Course overview. What is politics, and why should you care?
  Readings	Read all preceding information in this syllabus. (Watch for valuable easter eggs.) Download the study guide  to know what to look for in each lecture and reading. Backgrounders , "Introduction" Backgrounders , "The US Political System" Readings , "On the dangers of artificial intelligence." Review the plagiarism policy above. BYU's mission and aims, then DC 88:74-80. Recommended: Look at the due date calendar for an exportable feed.
  FYI	Complete readings prior to class. "Recommended" readings do not appear on quizzes or exams. If you have trouble downloading PDFs, (1) stop using Safari or (2) try right-clicking and choosing "Save link as" rather than just clicking the link.

• Tue, Sep 10th, 2024. 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?
  Readings	If you haven't already, complete the readings from last time. Backgrounders , "Social Science and the Logic of Politics" Logic 10e ch 1 pp 1-6, also "authority vs power" on p 7 Readings , Olson, The Logic of Collective Action Readings , Hardin, "The Tragedy of the Commons" Readings , Bednar, "The Powers of Heaven" DC 134 Recommended: Under "resources" below, watch each video and see if you can tell what kind of game it is. Recommended: Logic 10e ch 1 pp 8-20 for further discussion of the prisoner's dilemma, free rider problem, etc.
  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]

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

• Thu, Sep 12th, 2024. 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. (You will not be able to get your password until after the add deadline.)
  Readings	Backgrounders , "Early American History" Logic 10e ch 2 pp 33-35 Backgrounders , "Constitutions and Democracy" Readings , The Declaration of Independence, first two paragraphs and last paragraph; skim the rest Readings , The Articles of Confederation, sections II, III; skim the rest, especially IX Backgrounders , "Reading the Constitution" Readings , The Constitution. Read the Preamble; Article I, section 2 (compare AofC section V); Article I, section 8 (compare AofC IX); Article VI (compare AofC II); and the first ten amendments. For now, skim the rest.
  FYI	To receive credit for in-class quizzes, remember to set your Kahoot nickname as the first two letters of your last name then the last 4 digits of your student ID number (found on your BYU ID card). If your last name is Brown and your student ID number if 12-345-6789, this would be br6789. If you haven't listened to the 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"

• NEXT TIME: Tue, Sep 17th, 2024. Continued.
  Readings	Readings , Madison, Federalist 10 and 51 Readings , Oaks, "The Divinely Inspired Constitution" Utah ch 1 pp 11-15. Recommended: Washington Post, Constitutional podcast, listen to July 24, 2017, episode, Framed. Also on Spotify, Apple podcasts, and Amazon music. Great for review and additional context. [1:03] Recommended: Logic 10e ch 2 provides a detailed discussion of early American history and an insightful analysis of the Constitution that will deepen your understanding of lecture material.
  Resources	Brutus (1787), Anti-federalist #3, November 15, 1787  [5 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. Where do Oaks and Lee agree and disagree? How would you resolve these disagreements?

• Thu, Sep 19th, 2024. Federalism and centralization. What is federalism? Why has power grown centralized (or nationalized) over time?
  Readings	Backgrounders , "Early American History," re-read section "Continued growth in federal authority." Logic ch 3 pp 89-92. Read the rest for further clarification of material covered in class. Readings , The US Constitution, Articles IV and VI, Amendments 9-11, 16-17 Utah, chapter 2 (how federalism affects Utah) Utah, pp 134-8 from chapter 9 (what unitary governance looks like) Reminder: Download the study guide  to know what to look for in each lecture and reading.
  FYI	Enrichment 1 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Tuesday, September 24th. 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"

• Tue, Sep 24th, 2024. 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?
  DUE	Enrichment 1. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Readings	Backgrounders , "Civil Rights" Readings , The US Constitution, Amendments 13, 14 (section 1), and 15 Readings , Plessy v Ferguson Readings , Brown v Board of Education Readings , King, "Letter from Birmingham Jail" DC 101:76-80. BYU Magazine (2020), "Black at BYU." Recommended: Click "show additional resources" for some good stuff, such as an apostle's take on "Black lives matter" and the Constitution's "textual stains."
  Resources	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. 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 see in the Constitution? Huntsman (2018), "Hard Sayings and Safe Spaces" 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. LDS Church, "Revelations in context: Witnessing the faithfulness" Salt Lake Tribune (2021), See the maps: Where redlining happened in Utah
  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"

• Thu, Sep 26th, 2024. 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?
  Readings	Backgrounders , "The Bill of Rights" Readings , The US Constitution Amendment 1, Amendment 5, Amendment 14 (section 1) Readings , Goldberger, "The Skokie Case" Readings , Wu, "The First Amendment is Out of Control" Readings , Article I of the Utah Constitution 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	Learn more in Poli 421, "Constitutional Law: Rights and Immunities"

• Tue, Oct 1st, 2024. Religious liberty. What was the framers' experience with religious liberty? What are the First Amendment's limits?
  Readings	Washington Post, Constitutional podcast, listen to January 29, 2018, episode, The First Amendment. Also on Spotify, Apple podcasts, and Amazon music. As always, see the study guide so you know what to listen for. [0:52] Utah ch 1 (especially pp 1, 3-11, 15-16) Utah ch 5 pp 92-96 DC 121:1-10, 33-40; DC 122; DC 123; DC 127:1-3; DC 135. Early LDS experience with religious liberty. DC 134:4, 9-10 (and section 134 generally) Recommended: Click "show additional resources" for some good stuff.
  Resources	Holland (2008), "Lessons from Liberty Jail." Video (44:25) or transcript (or PDF ) LDS, "Peace and Violence among 19th-Century Latter-day Saints" LDS, "Plural Marriage in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" 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? LDS, Saints Clark (2005), "'The only game in town': An ACLU perspective," from God and Country: Politics in Utah
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 336, "Government and Religion" Learn more in Poli 421, "Constitutional Law: Rights and Immunities"

• Thu, Oct 3rd, 2024. Catch up or review.
  FYI	We will catch up if we are behind. Otherwise, I will just take review questions.

• Tue, Oct 8th, 2024. Woohoo! There is no class today. Take the test in the Testing Center on Friday (Oct 4), Monday (Oct 7), or Tuesday (Oct 8). The Testing Center will impose a late fee if you start after 5pm Tuesday. Check their hours before going.
  DUE	Midterm 1.
  Readings	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 low, 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

• Thu, Oct 10th, 2024. 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?
  Readings	Backgrounders , "Attitudes, Ideology, and Partisanship" Tesler (2023), "Why Trump Is Polling Much Better Among Very Conservative Primary Voters Than In 2016" (also in Readings ) This is a joke—or is it? Electoral precedent 2020 Read ahead if possible.
  Resources	Positive ads from the 2024 general election Video: 2024 Harris: Campaign launch [1:19] Video: 2024 Trump: Make America great again [2:30] Video: 2024 Harris: Fearless [1:00] Negative ads from the 2024 general election Video: 2024 Harris: Blocked [0:50] Video: 2024 Trump: Meet San Francisco liberal Kamala Harris [1:39] Video: 2024 Harris: Knows [0:30] Video: 2024 Trump: Meet the real Kamala Harris [1:23] 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	Enrichment 2 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Tuesday, October 15th.   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"

• Tue, Oct 15th, 2024. Continued.
  DUE	Enrichment 2. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Readings	Readings , Mason and Kalmoe, "Radical Partisanship" Sides (2023), "U.S. political leaders face a drumbeat of violent threats" (also in Readings ) Utah ch 1 review pp 8-11, then ch 3 pp 32-38 and 45-49 Reminder: Download the study guide  to know what to look for in each lecture and reading.
  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]

• Thu, Oct 17th, 2024. Public opinion polling. Prerecorded; no in-person class today. How can you assess a poll's trustworthiness?
  Readings	Best (2001), Damned Lies and Statistics, pp 45-61  To get a sense for what polling looks like, visit the Gallup Poll's newsroom and read a couple press releases summarizing recent polls.
  Resources	Recommended: Kristoff (2020), The Children of PornHub (If you cannot access the article, this is its punchline: Much of PornHub's content comes from abuse. The relevance will be clearer after lecture.)
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 317, "Public Opinion and Voting Behavior" Learn more in Poli 318, "Campaigns and Elections"

• Tue, Oct 22nd, 2024. 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?
  Readings	Logic 10e ch 11 pp 476-82 Backgrounders , "The News Media" BYU Magazine, Disinfomania Utah ch 3 pp 39-40, plus chart on p 41 Recommended: Popkin (1993), The Reasoning Voter, ch 2 . More on byproduct theory.
  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"

• Thu, Oct 24th, 2024. 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?
  Readings	Backgrounders , "Political Parties" Logic 10e ch 12 pp 507-16 and 539-42 Read the preamble to the 2024 Republican platform  and Democratic platform . Then, in each platform, read the first full paragraph under each heading or subheading to get a sense for each party's positions and priorities. Optional: Compare to previous platforms. Dems 2020 , Dems 2016 , GOP 2016 , GOP 2012 , Dems 2012 . (In 2020, instead of a platform, the GOP issued a statement "enthusiastically support[ing]" whatever Trump might do.)
  FYI	Enrichment 3 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Tuesday, October 29th. 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"

• Tue, Oct 29th, 2024. Continued.
  DUE	Enrichment 3. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Readings	Utah ch 3 pp 39-45, ch 11 157-61 Sides (2024), "Trump Had the Nomination Sewn Up Before a Single Vote was Cast" (also in Readings ) Drutman (2020), "The two-party system is killing our democracy" (also in Readings )

• Thu, Oct 31st, 2024. 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?
  Readings	Backgrounders , "The Bill of Rights," section "Standards of Review" Backgrounders , "Interest Groups" Utah ch 5 pp 87-98 Logic 10e ch 13 pp 549-53, 572-73, 577-85
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 313, "Interest Groups"

• Tue, Nov 5th, 2024. Catch up or review.
  FYI	We will catch up if we are behind. Otherwise, I will just take review questions.

• Thu, Nov 7th, 2024. Yay! There is no class today. Take the test in the Testing Center on Wednesday (Nov 6), Thursday (Nov 7), or Friday (Nov 8). The Testing Center will impose a late fee if you start after 2pm Friday.
  DUE	Midterm 2.
  Readings	Study guide

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

• Tue, Nov 12th, 2024. Introduction to Congress.
  Readings	Backgrounders , re-read "The US Political System" as we begin this new unit Backgrounders , "Constitutions and Democracy," re-read the "Constitutional building blocks" section Readings , The US Constitution, Article I, also Amendments 16, 17, and 27 Backgrounders , "Congress" Utah ch 4 pp 50-58 Reminder: Download the study guide  to know what to look for in each lecture and reading.
  FYI	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? In this unit on political institutions, I assign the Utah readings to help you consider these sorts of questions. 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"

• Thu, Nov 14th, 2024. 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?
  Readings	Backgrounders , "Legislative Professionalism and Term Limits" Masket (2020), "Why Political Science Doesn't Like Term Limits" (also in Readings ) Utah ch 5 pp 78-87, 96-100 Utah ch 9 pp 144-47.
  FYI	Enrichment 4 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Tuesday, November 19th. Learn about BYU's best internship: The Utah state legislature internship. Learn more in Poli 315, "Congress and the Legislative Process"

• Tue, Nov 19th, 2024. 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 4. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Readings	Schoolhouse Rock, I'm Just a Bill [3:02] (Yes, really) Logic 10e ch 6 skim pp 231-34, read pp 253-56, skim 257-60 Utah ch 4 pp 65-77 (to contrast with Congress) Utah ch 6 (to contrast direct and representative democracy) Binder (2024), Continuing Resolutions (also in Readings ) Binder (2024), "Why the House Speaker finally greenlit Ukraine aid" (also in Readings ) Recommended: For a deeper understanding of lecture material, read all of Logic ch 6 and Utah ch 4.
  FYI	Learn more about direct democracy in Poli 311, "State and Local Politics" Learn more in Poli 315, "Congress and the Legislative Process"

• Thu, Nov 21st, 2024. 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?
  Readings	Logic 10e ch 7 pp 297-305, 322-28, 342-43 Readings , The US Constitution, Article II, also Amendments 12, 20, 22, 23, 25 Utah ch 7 pp 112-15, 119-22 Goodwin, "Learning from past presidents," video (19:19) or transcript (also in Readings ). If some of her stories sound familiar, that's because she was the consulting historian for the 2012 film Lincoln.
  Resources	Logic, Appendix 6 (party control of Congress and presidency) Logic, Appendix 7 (presidential elections)
  FYI	Learn more in Poli 314, "The US Presidency"

• Tue, Nov 26th, 2024. 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?
  Readings	Backgrounders , "Constitutions and Democracy," section "Constitutional building blocks," re-read the part about delegation Backgrounders , "A Short History of the Federal Bureaucracy" Logic 10e ch 8 pp 347-51, pp 356-58, 365-72, 374-5 (bulleted list), 385-6 ("the logic of red tape") Readings , McCubbins and Schwartz on Oversight Guisinger (2024), "The Federal Reserve and US Monetary Policy" (also in Readings ) Utah pp 50-52
  FYI	Enrichment 5 opens today. Read the instructions  and then submit online by Tuesday, December 3rd. 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"

• Tue, Dec 3rd, 2024. The judiciary. How is the federal judiciary structured? How are state judiciaries different? How did federal courts acquire the power to strike down laws?
  DUE	Enrichment 5. Read the instructions  and then submit online.
  Readings	Readings , The US Constitution, Article III, IV, V, and VI Readings , Hamilton, Excerpts from Federalist 78 Haglin et al. (2022), "Americans Don't Trust the Supreme Court" (also in Readings ) Utah ch 8 pp 123-33 Start listening to the podcasts assigned for next time. Recommended: Kerr (2007), How to Read a Judicial Opinion . Kerr (mainly pp 53-61) gives 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 material is 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"

• Thu, Dec 5th, 2024. Continued. How does the Supreme Court operate? How do Supreme Court justices interpret the Constitution?
  Readings	National Constitution Center We the People podcast, listen to the July 25, 2024, episode, The Evolution of Originalism. Also on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or YouTube. [0:55] NYT The Daily, listen to April 19, 2024, podcast episode, "The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness." Also on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Amazon music, and YouTube [0:29]
  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!

• Tue, Dec 10th, 2024. What have we learned?
  DUE	Student ratings. I will drop an additional quiz if you complete 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.
  Readings	Readings , The US Constitution. It underlies much of what we have discussed. Give it another read. Readings , Brooks, "Our Culture of Contempt" Readings , Vavreck and Tausanovitch, "It May Not Seem That Way, but Politicians Often Do What Voters Want" Readings , Oaks, "Defending our Divinely Inspired Constitution" First Presidency (2023), Political Participation, Voting, and the Political Neutrality of the Church . In light of the Oaks talks, why does this letter speak of a "threat to democracy"? DC 88:74-80,118 DC 93:53 DC 98:10 DC 121:39-44

• Thu, Dec 12th, 2024. Review and exam info.

  FYI

  The exam will be in administered by the Testing Center in room to be determined throughout finals week (Fri Dec 13 through Wed Dec 18), with no late fees. Check their hours before you go. 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 unavoidable medical circumstances (such as a baby's due date during finals week). University policy forbids me from granting 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.