Brian Roberts

Prerequisites 

None

Course Description

This course explores the nature and consequences of money in American politics and why, at this point in history, we find ourselves embroiled in the most significant debate over campaign finance reform in over thirty years. The debate goes to the heart of the U.S. Constitution, pitting the First Amendment rights of speech and assembly against the perceived fairness and efficacy of a republican government awash, some claim, in increasingly unaccountable money.

Campaign finance issues lie at the crossroads of a bewildering number of analytical perspectives. We (must) examine the work of historians, social scientists, legal scholars, and interested parties on all sides of the debate in an effort not only to assess current policy debates but also to understand how we got here.

The objective of the course is not to persuade you of any particular point of view but, rather, to arm you with the substantive knowledge, theoretical foundation and analytical tools needed to be resolute in whatever conclusions you draw from this experience.

Grading Policy

Final grades are based on class participation, two tests and two class projects:

Participation:     10%

1st Project:        15%

2nd Project:       20%

First Test:          25%

Second Test:      30% 

Grades will be based on the +/- scale.

Texts 

La Raja, Raymond. Small Change: Money, Political Parties and Campaign Finance Reform. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. 2008. 

Lessig, Lawrence. Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress--and a Plan to Stop It. New York: Twelve. 2011.

Samples, John. The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 2006.

This course explores the nature and consequences of money in American politics and why, at this point in history, we find ourselves embroiled in the most significant debate over campaign finance reform in over thirty years. The debate goes to the heart of the U.S. Constitution, pitting the First Amendment rights of speech and assembly against the perceived fairness and efficacy of a republican government awash, some claim, in increasingly unaccountable money.

Campaign finance issues lie at the crossroads of a bewildering number of analytical perspectives.  We (must) examine the work of historians, social scientists, legal scholars, and interested parties on all sides of the debate in an effort not only to assess current policy debates but also to understand how we got here.  During the course we confront and seek answers to a host of questions, including, but by no means limited to:

     - How will corporations respond to the Supreme Court’s recent decision permitting unlimited    political advertising? 

     - Why did most 2008 presidential candidates abandon the system of public financing for presidential elections?

     -Why does the public believe that corporations play such a large role in funding federal election campaigns?

     -Why does the Supreme Court allow public perceptions to determine the constitutionality of campaign finance laws?

     -Why do U.S. Senators refuse to report their campaign finance activity electronically to the Federal Election Commission?

     -How and why is the Internet treated differently than other means of political communication by campaign finance laws?

     -What are the consequences of unlimited individual contributions to state election candidates in Texas?

Texts

Corrado, Anthony, et al. The New Campaign Finance Sourcebook. 2004. Washington D.C.: Brooking Institution; 

Corrado, Anthony and David Magleby Financing the 2008 Election. 2010. Washington D.C.: Brooking Institution; 

McChesney, Fred. Money For Nothing: Politicians, Rent Extraction, and Political Extortion.  1997. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 

Urofsky, Melvin., Money & Free Speech: Campaign Finance Reform and the Courts. 2005. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press.

La Raja, Raymond.  Small Change: Money, Political Parties and Campaign Finance Reform. 2008. University of Michigan Press

Government 312L satisfies the second half of the mandated six hours of government that every UT student must take.  Course covers analysis of varying topics concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution, and assumes basic knowledge of government from GOV 310L, which is a prerequiste. May be taken for credit only once.

Course Description

 Public Choice describes a way of thinking about politics.  It starts with the silly assumption that people are rational – people generally know what they want and make choices accordingly – and explores its implications for the likely decisions of such political actors as voters, politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists, etc..  These decisions include everything from whether to vote in an election to how to design a constitution.  One of the main objectives of the course is to assess the degree to which what we actually observe about politics is consistent with the assumption that people are rational.

 Some of the less provocative questions we will address include:

 ·         Why should anybody vote?

·         What’s the point of having a constitution?

·         Is there enough money in politics?

·         Why do we regulate anything?

·         Is majority rule a reasonable way to make decisions?

·         Is it rational to be ignorant?

The bulk of the course explores the theoretical and testable implications of rational choice across a wide range of questions in political science.

Because we explore how & why people make decisions, part of the course is devoted to developing some of the tools needed to understand decision making.  Central to the required toolset are the concepts and mechanics of Game Theory – the theory of how people make decisions when they take into account the likely responses of others to those decisions, which is pretty much always the case when it comes to politics.  So, be prepared for a lot of clear thinking and a little bit of algebra.

 The goals of the course are to acquaint you with and understand the reach of some critical tools for understanding the decisions of political actors.  If you want to change the way politics works then it is essential that you understand at the most fundamental level how it works. Nothing is more fundamental to politics than the choices people make.  If you believe that politics is largely driven by cold, heartless, self-serving decisions then this course offers essential insight.

This course explores the nature and consequences of money in American politics and why, at this point in history, we find ourselves embroiled in the most significant debate over campaign finance reform in over thirty years. The debate goes to the heart of the U.S. Constitution, pitting the First Amendment rights of speech and assembly against the perceived fairness and efficacy of a republican government awash, some claim, in increasingly unaccountable money. Campaign finance issues lie at the crossroads of a bewildering number of analytical perspectives.  We (must) examine the work of historians, social scientists, legal scholars, and interested parties on all sides of the debate in an effort not only to assess current policy debates but also to understand how we got here.  During the course we confront and seek answers to a host of questions, including, but by no means limited to:

-How will corporations respond to the Supreme Court’s recent decision permitting unlimited political advertising?     

- Why did most 2008 presidential candidates abandon the system of public financing for presidential elections?    

-Why does the public believe that corporations play such a large role in funding federal election campaigns?    

-Why does the Supreme Court allow public perceptions to determine the constitutionality of campaign finance laws?     -Why do U.S. Senators refuse to report their campaign finance activity electronically to the Federal Election Commission?   

-How and why is the Internet treated differently than other means of political communication by campaign finance laws?    

-What are the consequences of unlimited individual contributions to state election candidates in Texas?

Texts:

Corrado, Anthony, et al. The New Campaign Finance Sourcebook. 2004. Washington D.C.: Brooking Institution; Corrado, Anthony and David Magleby Financing the 2008 Election. 2010. Washington D.C.: Brooking Institution; McChesney, Fred. Money For Nothing: Politicians, Rent Extraction, and Political Extortion.  1997. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; Urofsky, Melvin., Money & Free Speech: Campaign Finance Reform and the Courts. 2005. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press.La Raja, Raymond.  Small Change: Money, Political Parties and Campaign Finance Reform. 2008. University of Michigan Press

Requirements:

In addition to a midterm exam and meeting expectations of strong class participation, students engage in two significant projects over the course of the semester, first in the role of campaign finance consultants advising either a candidate or a political action committee, and second as members of a legal team preparing for a (marginally fictitious) Supreme Court case confronting the constitutional challenges posed by campaign finance laws.

Description coming soon...

Description:

This course explores the nature and consequences of money in American politics and why, at this point in history, we find ourselves embroiled in the most significant debate over campaign finance reform in over thirty years.   The debate goes to the heart of the U.S. Constitution, pitting the First Amendment rights of speech and assembly against the perceived fairness and efficacy of a republican government awash, some claim, in increasingly unaccountable money.

     Campaign finance issues lie at the crossroads of a bewildering number of analytical perspectives.  We (must) examine the work of historians, social scientists, legal scholars, and interested parties on all sides of the debate in an effort not only to assess current policy debates but also to understand how we got here. 

      During the course we confront and seek answers to a host of questions, including, but by no means limited to,

 - How will corporations respond to the Supreme Court’s recent decision permitting unlimited political advertising? 

- Why did most 2008 presidential candidates abandon the system of public financing for presidential elections?

-Why does the public believe that corporations play such a large role in funding federal election campaigns?

-Why does the Supreme Court allow public perceptions to determine the constitutionality of campaign finance laws?

-Why do U.S. Senators refuse to report their campaign finance activity electronically to the Federal Election Commission?

-How and why is the Internet treated differently than other means of political communication by campaign finance laws?

-What are the consequences of unlimited individual contributions to state election candidates in Texas?

Texts:

Corrado, Anthony, et al. The New Campaign Finance Sourcebook. 2004. Washington D.C.: Brooking Institution; 

Corrado, Anthony and David Magleby Financing the 2008 Election. 2010. Washington D.C.: Brooking Institution; 

McChesney, Fred. Money For Nothing: Politicians, Rent Extraction, and Political Extortion.  1997. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 

Urofsky, Melvin., Money & Free Speech: Campaign Finance Reform and the Courts. 2005. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Press.

La Raja, Raymond.  Small Change: Money, Political Parties and Campaign Finance Reform. 2008. University of Michigan Press

Other readings as assigned

Requirements:

In addition to a midterm exam and meeting expectations of strong class participation, students engage in two significant projects over the course of the semester, first in the role of campaign finance consultants advising either a candidate or a political action committee, and second as members of a legal team preparing for a (marginally fictitious) Supreme Court case confronting the constitutional challenges posed by campaign finance laws.