US Government Overview and Free Rider Problem

Study Notes

Politics is the struggle to allocate scarce resources; who gets what, when, and how. This isn't random.
Governments exist for two reasons:
- People have good human nature, so government helps solve collective action dilemmas.
- People have bad human nature, so government is needed to ensure people don't harm each other. (Thomas Hobbes stated life without government is "nasty, brutish, and short")
A collective action dilemma occurs when groups have problems working together efficiently because some people avoid contributing their fair share. Governments help solve this "free rider problem."

The free rider problem occurs when individuals benefit from a group's efforts without contributing. Too many free riders can destroy collective goods.
Examples of the free-rider problem include the problem with the use of a shared microwave, group projects, paying for services that benefit everyone (like roads), etc.
The examples shown in the slides include "The Dirty Microwave," "The Groupwork Problem," "The Unpaid Toll," and "The Nonvoting Citizen."

Democracy is a governing system where the people govern themselves. The term comes from the Greek word meaning "rule by the many."
Democracy is a continuum, not an on/off switch, meaning it exists on a spectrum.
The opposite of democracy exists.
A system of governance where the people do not have power..
Democracy works with inputs (from the people), the government, and outputs (laws or policies), with feedback loops.

These theories explain who gets what in the political process.
Majoritarianism: "Who gets what" is determined by the will of the majority.
Elite Theory: A select group (top officials, military officials, corporations) controls policy outcomes, often differing from the majority's wishes. These groups are interested in preserving their own power.