503
504
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Extra Credit Considerations
By now, many of you have recognized some of the problems facing the two sections in devising your sets of extra credit questions.
The first, and perhaps most evident problem, is the coordination problem among students in each class. How are 300 students to organize themselves to choose a single set of questions?
The second consideration that might occur to you is how to deal with the other class? Of course, the most obvious approach would be to simply write the hardest set of questions possible to try to maximize the extra credit you would receive from inducing incorrect answers in the other section.
Another approach might be to try to collude with the other class to submit sets of relatively easy questions, since the benefit of knowing 10 questions ahead of time outweighs the benefit of 5 points of extra credit.
This, in turn, raises two important problems.
The first is the prisoners' dilemma. Since questions must be submitted in sealed envelopes, it may not be easy to verify what questions the other section has submitted to me, regardless of what questions they might claim to have submitted. It would be entirely possible, and in violation of no rule, for one section to present different sets of questions to me and to the other section.
In fact, this is the most "rational" thing to do, since, no matter what strategy each section elects to pursue (hard questions v. easy questions), either section would be better off by actually submitting hard questions. (You can read about the prisoners' dilemma in your text or online.)
A second potential problem might arise if there are differences of opinion within each section about which strategy to pursue. How will you choose the easy question v. hard question strategy if there is disagreement?
There are still other considerations: what benefits in terms of studying might accrue in the preparation of hard questions, regardless of what's submitted? If there is collusion between the section, how will information about the agreement be transmitted to all students? How might the approval of the whole section be secured for such an agreement? How would such an agreement be enforced?
Again, I encourage you to think through the process as carefully as possible before making rash or sudden choices, and I likewise encourage students to participate in their sections' process and not necessarily go along with a small group that might act on a section's behalf without an open process.
Lastly, don't get so caught up in this thing that you forget to actually study for the exam.
The first, and perhaps most evident problem, is the coordination problem among students in each class. How are 300 students to organize themselves to choose a single set of questions?
The second consideration that might occur to you is how to deal with the other class? Of course, the most obvious approach would be to simply write the hardest set of questions possible to try to maximize the extra credit you would receive from inducing incorrect answers in the other section.
Another approach might be to try to collude with the other class to submit sets of relatively easy questions, since the benefit of knowing 10 questions ahead of time outweighs the benefit of 5 points of extra credit.
This, in turn, raises two important problems.
The first is the prisoners' dilemma. Since questions must be submitted in sealed envelopes, it may not be easy to verify what questions the other section has submitted to me, regardless of what questions they might claim to have submitted. It would be entirely possible, and in violation of no rule, for one section to present different sets of questions to me and to the other section.
In fact, this is the most "rational" thing to do, since, no matter what strategy each section elects to pursue (hard questions v. easy questions), either section would be better off by actually submitting hard questions. (You can read about the prisoners' dilemma in your text or online.)
A second potential problem might arise if there are differences of opinion within each section about which strategy to pursue. How will you choose the easy question v. hard question strategy if there is disagreement?
There are still other considerations: what benefits in terms of studying might accrue in the preparation of hard questions, regardless of what's submitted? If there is collusion between the section, how will information about the agreement be transmitted to all students? How might the approval of the whole section be secured for such an agreement? How would such an agreement be enforced?
Again, I encourage you to think through the process as carefully as possible before making rash or sudden choices, and I likewise encourage students to participate in their sections' process and not necessarily go along with a small group that might act on a section's behalf without an open process.
Lastly, don't get so caught up in this thing that you forget to actually study for the exam.
Exam 3 Extra Credit
OK kids, we are now two weeks away from exam 3. In order to help get you geared up for our last exam, I am offering one final chance for class-wide extra credit.
I am giving each section the opportunity to submit up to 10 questions to appear on the other section's third exam. For each submitted question that at least one third (rounded to 33%) miss, I will award one-half a point of extra credit to the submitting section (obviously, up to a maximum of 5 points).
Here are some ground rules:
1. A hard copy of each section's questions are due to me by 5:00pm on April 24, 2009. Submissions may be made to me before or after class, during my office hours, or in my office (Allen 2117) between 4:00 and 5:00PM on April 24.
2. Each section may submit up to 10 questions total, and a each class is entitled to submit only one hard copy of all questions. Submissions must be turned in in each section's official submission envelope, which will be made available before or after class to any student who is registered for appropriate section. If I receive more than one submission for each section, or if the submission is not delivered in the official envelope, all submissions from the section will be null and void and no extra credit will be provided.
3. Questions may cover any material covered in the assigned readings or lectures throughout the semester.
4. Questions must be in multiple choice format with no more than five possible answers.
5. "Trick questions" are not allowed.
6. I reserve the right to exclude any question that is not fair or clearly worded, or that does not provide one single correct answer choice per question. I may exercise this right at my sole discretion without appeal.
7. I reserve the right to modify or edit questions or answer choices at my discretion.
8. Finally, I reserve the right to modify or amend the rules with reasonable notice at my sole discretion to preserve the integrity or spirit of the assignment.
I will go over all of this in class today and answer any questions you may have.
I am giving each section the opportunity to submit up to 10 questions to appear on the other section's third exam. For each submitted question that at least one third (rounded to 33%) miss, I will award one-half a point of extra credit to the submitting section (obviously, up to a maximum of 5 points).
Here are some ground rules:
1. A hard copy of each section's questions are due to me by 5:00pm on April 24, 2009. Submissions may be made to me before or after class, during my office hours, or in my office (Allen 2117) between 4:00 and 5:00PM on April 24.
2. Each section may submit up to 10 questions total, and a each class is entitled to submit only one hard copy of all questions. Submissions must be turned in in each section's official submission envelope, which will be made available before or after class to any student who is registered for appropriate section. If I receive more than one submission for each section, or if the submission is not delivered in the official envelope, all submissions from the section will be null and void and no extra credit will be provided.
3. Questions may cover any material covered in the assigned readings or lectures throughout the semester.
4. Questions must be in multiple choice format with no more than five possible answers.
5. "Trick questions" are not allowed.
6. I reserve the right to exclude any question that is not fair or clearly worded, or that does not provide one single correct answer choice per question. I may exercise this right at my sole discretion without appeal.
7. I reserve the right to modify or edit questions or answer choices at my discretion.
8. Finally, I reserve the right to modify or amend the rules with reasonable notice at my sole discretion to preserve the integrity or spirit of the assignment.
I will go over all of this in class today and answer any questions you may have.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Class on Monday
I expect to be finished with the makeup exams by the end of the week, and I will go over the last exam in class on Monday.
Also, I will be distributing course evaluations on Monday, and I would appreciate having feedback from as many of you as possible. So, please do your best to make it.
Also, I will be distributing course evaluations on Monday, and I would appreciate having feedback from as many of you as possible. So, please do your best to make it.
No Class on Friday
This Friday is Good Friday and a university "reading day," so classes will not meet.
Voter Turnout
Today we'll start to talk about voting and elections by taking up the topic of voter turnout. Then, we'll circle back to our discussion of biases in individuals' ability to process and respond to political information to explore the extent to which American's system of political representation is biased as well (Foreshadowing: There's a surprise ending.)
But, to start out on voter turnout, I thought I would throw a little data at you. Michael MacDonald is a professor of political science at George Mason University and one of the experts on voter turnout. His website has tons of turnout data, which is loads of nerdy fun. But, I wanted to point out two data points to you in particular.
The first is US voter turnout for the 2008 presidential election, which was 61.7%, a high figure in modern US presidential elections. Of course, pre-election media speculation had suggested that then-Senator Obama's presence in the election would mobilize large numbers of new voters into the electorate. This did not happen.
US voter turnout in 2004 was 60.1%, though that year's election represented a marked increase in turnout from 2000, which was only 54.2%. (For those of you who are interested, Professor MacDonald's complete state-by-state and national turnout data going back to 1980 are here.)
This is not to say that an extra 1.6% voter turnout is small. That figure represents about 2 million new voters.
Yet, it is clear that voter turnout was already on the way up after the 2000 election and that 2008 didn't fundamentally re-make the electoral landscape. Despite the presence of a very high quality candidate in President Obama and very high stakes issues, voter turnout only inched up from previous levels. The interesting question for us is, why? Which we will get to today in class.
But, to start out on voter turnout, I thought I would throw a little data at you. Michael MacDonald is a professor of political science at George Mason University and one of the experts on voter turnout. His website has tons of turnout data, which is loads of nerdy fun. But, I wanted to point out two data points to you in particular.
The first is US voter turnout for the 2008 presidential election, which was 61.7%, a high figure in modern US presidential elections. Of course, pre-election media speculation had suggested that then-Senator Obama's presence in the election would mobilize large numbers of new voters into the electorate. This did not happen.
US voter turnout in 2004 was 60.1%, though that year's election represented a marked increase in turnout from 2000, which was only 54.2%. (For those of you who are interested, Professor MacDonald's complete state-by-state and national turnout data going back to 1980 are here.)
This is not to say that an extra 1.6% voter turnout is small. That figure represents about 2 million new voters.
Yet, it is clear that voter turnout was already on the way up after the 2000 election and that 2008 didn't fundamentally re-make the electoral landscape. Despite the presence of a very high quality candidate in President Obama and very high stakes issues, voter turnout only inched up from previous levels. The interesting question for us is, why? Which we will get to today in class.
Exam 3 Chapters
Our third exam is sneaking up on us, and to give you all a head's up, I wanted to remind you of its coverage. The exam will cover the topics of: public opinion, voting and elections, political parties, and interest groups. Those are covered in chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13, and (obviously) in your lectures, etc.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Slides for last week and today
Sorry for the slow rate of posting last week due to my travel schedule.
Here are the lecture slides for last week and today.
Class 19
Class 20
Class 21
Here are the lecture slides for last week and today.
Class 19
Class 20
Class 21
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