Monday January 18th 1999
Announcements: Make sure to be in recitation the country for you first project will be assigned during this time.

Lecture notes:
  I. Politics – who gets what when & how

  A. The problem with politics is the allocations of scarce resources

B. You should think of politics in the same way as you view economics

1. The trading of goods (free-will)
2. Most of the actions such as taxes are influenced by society but the rights are not taken away as easily
3. When someone is gets a right someone else loses a right

C. Redistribution- the spreading of scarce resources (w/ in a nation).

II. Power

1. Two kinds of power:

1. Economic power (determines who can run in an election)
2. Lawmakers’ power (determines how the election will run).

1. Power is the key factor but can’t be measured you must make inferences

III. Members of the Constitutional Convention

1. They were wealthy landowners who were appointed by the state legislators.
2. They were bounded to the states and had to make provisions so that the states would not lose too much power only what was necessary to create a stronger union among the states.
3. The original constitution set up in such a way that it favored the election of wealthy white males who are landowner would be in power.

1. Thus reflecting the fact that the set of rules adopted for an election as to who will run for office reflects people who are in power during the adoption of the rules.

IV. How does of power effects politics?

1. International politics power is more transparent because there are fewer governing institutions
2. Two ways to think of power in politics:

1. Potential action-The ability to influence someone to do something without taking any action

1. You can see it happen but cannot trace it directly to its source.
2. In application of power you do not always see the application.
3. Behavior is a consequence of power but it cannot be pinpointed.
   Example: Canada doesn’t invade the United States because it doesn’t want to U.S. is too big

1. Action- the ability to influence someone to do something they won’t do normally (observable)

1. You can go out and find it but can’t see more than one application at one time
2. You can prove it but can’t see the counter facts
   Example: If Hitler didn’t exist there would have been no WWII
3. You can measure the effects if you can get someone’s data and makes observation

V. Political Science

1. Political science is a science virus
2. It is hypothetical therefore could be wrong and must go through testing
3. Cumulative- opinions should be written with an opposition or exception of my readers

VI. International Politics Vs Domestic Politics

1. International Politics has fewer institutions and has less opposition then domestic politics.

1. There is no lack of institutions in international politics but their laws and regulations are hard to enforce.
   Example: Reagan put mines on Nicaraguan territory; they took the US to the World Court; the US was reprimanded but no punishment was enforced

VII. What can be looked at to measure the ability of someone to influence someone else?

1. Some of the factors are military capabilities the size of the country the amount of military equipment and how it is used the influence the leaders have in their own countries and the amount of money spent on military.(United States)
2. Also the economic resources and markets the country has play a key role in influencing someone.(Japan)
3. Finally the countries ability to choose what they import and export. (United States).