Lecture Notes

LEC # TOPICS
Part 1: Introduction and Preliminaries
1 What is the Role of Government? (PDF)
Part 2: Institutions and American Politics
2 Understanding Institutions: The Median Voter Theorem (PDF)
3 Agenda Setting: The Committee Model (PDF 1) (PDF 2)
4 Making Legislation: Veto Players (PDF)
5 Making Legislation: Ideas and Policy Entrepreneurs (PDF)
6 The Preferences of Policymakers: Elections and Responsiveness
Part 3: Public Opinion, Elections, and Democracy
7 Campaigns and Elections (PDF 1) (PDF 2)
8 The Measure and Meaning of Public Opinion (PDF)
9 The Structure of Public Opinion (PDF)
10 Understanding Public Opinion and American Politics: War and Race (PDF)
Part 4: Personal Interests and Political Equality
11 Mobilization of Interests (PDF)
12 Participation and the Political System (PDF)
Part 5: American Politics: Bringing it all Together
13 The Welfare Implications of Government
14 Conclusions (PDF)