All numbers indicate sections from Mathematics and Politics: Strategy, Voting, Power and Proof (2nd Edition).
Read is for the reading assignment (See syllabus for details)
C is for individual exercises
Monday |
Wednesday |
Friday |
| Jan. 23 |
Jan. 25 |
Jan. 27 Lecture #1: Introductions |
| Jan. 30 Lecture #2: The general will as understood by political philosophers Homework Due: Read: Rousseau:The Social Contract Locke:The Second Treatise on Government |
Feb. 1 Lecture #3: Other definitions of democracy Homework Due: Read: Robert A. Dahl, "Equality, Diversity, and Intensity" |
Feb. 3 Lecture #4: Functions Social Choice Requirements Homework Due: Read: Chapter 8: Democracy: How does it work? State Institutions and Electoral Systems. |
| Feb. 6 Lecture #5: An introduction to comparative democracy in the real world Homework Due: Read: Taylor/Pacelli:Sections 1.1-1.4 |
Feb. 8 Lecture #6: May's Theorems Possible Social Choice Procedures Homework Due: Read: Taylor/Pacelli:Sections 1.5-1.6 |
Feb. 10 Lecture #7: Positive and Negative Results Homework Due: Read: 1.7-1.8 |
| Feb. 13 Lecture #8: Monotonicity Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives Homework Due: Read: 1.9 Written Homework #1: C Chapter 1: 3,4,9,10,17,21,22 |
Feb. 15 Lecture #9: Spoiler Candidates in the Real World Homework Due: Read: Seth McKee and Stephen C. Craig |
Feb. 17 Lecture #10: Strategic Voting Homework Due: Read: Sophisticated Voting in the 1988 Presidential Primaries Also read about the current Republican nomination race, especially the issue issue positions of each of the candidates. |
| Feb. 20 Lecture #11: First Impossibility result Approval Voting Mathematics |
Feb. 22 Lecture #12: Approval Voting Political Science Homework Due: Read: Jack H. Nagel, “The Burr Dilemma in Approval Voting” Written Homework #2: C Chapter 1: 23,24,28,33 |
Feb. 24 Lecture #13: Introduction to Yes-No Voting Homework Due: Read: Taylor/Pacelli:Sections 2.1-2.3 |
| Feb. 27 Lecture #14: The United States System Homework Due: Read: Stephen Brooks “Chapter 6: Institutions of Government” Written Homework #3: C Chapter 1: 17 (Prove it works or give an example that shows it doesn't) C Chapter 1: 5,6,18 |
Feb. 29 Lecture #15: Weighted Voting Swap Robust Homework Due: Read: Taylor/Pacelli:Sections 2.4-2.7 |
March 2 Lecture #16: Trade Robust |
| March 5 Spring Break |
March 7 Spring Break |
March 9 Spring Break |
| March 12 Lecture #17: Political Power Homework Due: Read: Robert A. Dahl, "The Concept of Power" Written Homework #4: C Chapter 2: 4,5,8,9,11,18 |
March 14 Lecture #18: More Political Power Homework Due: Read: Steven Lukes "Introduction", Power |
March 16 Lecture #19: Condorcet Losing and Borda Count Mathematical ideas of Power Homework Due: Read: Taylor/Pacelli:Sections 3.1,3.3-3.4 |
| March 19 Lecture #20: Shapley-Shubik index of Power Binomial Coefficients Homework Due: Read: Taylor/Pacelli:Sections 3.2-3.3 Written Homework #5: C Chapter 2: 22,23,24 |
March 21 Lecture #21: Presidential Power Homework Due: Read: Taylor/Pacelli:Sections 3.6 |
March 23 Lecture #22: Homework Help and discussion |
| March 26 Lecture #23: Presidential Power from Political Science Homework Due: Skim: Cameron, Charles, and Nolan McCarty. 2004. "MODELS OF VETOES AND VETO BARGAINING." Read: John B. Gilmour "Provoking a veto", Strategic Disagreement 119-131 Written Homework #6: C Chapter 3: 20,21,24a,32,36 |
March 28 Lecture #24: Presidential Power from Political Science Homework Due: Read: Andrew W. Barrett and Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha "Presidential Success on the Substance of Legislation", 100-112 |
March 30 Lecture #25: Presidential Power from Political Science Homework Due: Read: George C. Edwards III On Deaf Ears, Chapter 2 click her for e-reserves |
| April 2 Midterm |
April 4 Lecture #26: Congress I Homework Due: Read: David W. Rohde, "Committees and Policy Formulation" in The Legislative Branch. pp. 201-223 |
April 6 Easter Break |
| April 9 Easter Break |
April 11 Lecture #27: Congress II Homework Due: Read: Barbara Sinclair, "Parties and Leadership in the House" in The Legislative Branch. pp. 224-254 |
April 13 Lecture #28: Social Welfare Functions May's Theorem Homework Due: Read: Taylor/Pacelli:Sections 7.1-7.3 |
| April 16 Lecture #29: Arrow's Impossibility Theorem Intro Homework Due: Read: 7.4 |
April 18 No Class Visit by His Holiness the Dalai Lama |
April 20 Lecture #30: Arrow's Impossibility Theorem Proof Homework Due: Read: 7.5-7.6 |
| April 23 Lecture #31: Other Arrow-like Theorems Reactions to the Arrows Theorem Homework Due: Written Homework #7: C Chapter 7:1,2,3,5,6 |
April 25 Lecture #32: Voter Preferences Homework Due: Read: John R. Zaller, Chapters 2 and 3 The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion |
April 27 Lecture #33: Counting Votes Homework Due: Read: Stephen Ansolabehere and Charles Stewart III Residual Votes Attributable to Technology The Journal of Politics , Vol. 67, No. 2 (May, 2005), pp. 365-389 |
| April 30 Lecture #34: Voter Hierarchies Homework Due: Read: 9.4-9.5 Written Homework #8: C Chapter 7:4,7,8,9 |
May 2 Lecture #35: Possible and Impossible Hierarchies |
May 4 Lecture #36: Presentations |
| May 7 Lecture #37: Presentations |
May 9 Lecture #38: Presentations |
May 11 Lecture #39: Presentations |
| May 14 Lecture #40: Course Wrap-up and tearful goodbyes Homework Due: Written Homework #9: Homework Problems Math Final Guide |
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