Spring 2021  |  POL 3464 Section 001: Politics Economic Inequality (51850)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
Completely Online
Class Attributes:
Online Course
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/19/2021 - 05/03/2021
Mon, Wed 08:15AM - 09:30AM
Off Campus
UMN REMOTE
Enrollment Status:
Open (82 of 83 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Democracy is premised on formal political equality. Yet if economic wealth can be transformed into political influence, then we have good reason to worry about the quality of democracy. In this course students engage the question of the relationship between inequality and democracy in comparative perspective. The course first explores core conceptual and normative issues: how do we measure economic inequality, and why should we care about it? We then turn to the origins of inequality and explanations of its evolution, and then consider political efforts to redress inequalities, starting with the question of why the poor do not soak the rich under democracy ? the ?Robin Hood Paradox.? We then turn to efforts to explain real-world variation in economic redistribution around the world. Finally, we explore consequences of inequality for democracy: the extent to which the rich ?win? over everyone else in terms of policy representation, and the impact of economic inequality on the long-term evolution of democracy itself.
Class Notes:
This course is completely online in a synchronous format. The course will meet online at the scheduled times. http://classinfo.umn.edu/?dsamuels+POL3464+Spring2021
Class Description:
Distributional issues are at the core of the study of politics. After all, democracy is premised on formal political equality. Yet if economic wealth can be transformed into political influence, then we have good reason to worry about the quality of democracy. In this course students will read, discuss and engage questions about the relationship between inequality and democracy. We will draw on examples from the US and other countries, exploring such questions as "What is the relationship between income and power in democratic societies?" "What are the political consequences of rising inequality?" and "What sorts of policies increase or decrease inequality?" The course first explores conceptual issues and normative issues: how do we measure inequality, and why should we care about it? We then turn to the origins of economic inequality and consider explanations of its evolution, and then explore political efforts to redress inequalities, starting with the question of why the poor do not vote to "soak the rich" under democracy. Given this "Robin Hood Paradox," we then turn to efforts to explain real-world variation in redistribution around the world. Next we explore important consequences of inequality for democracy: the extent to which the rich "win" over everyone else in terms of policy representation. Finally, we will debate a series of potential remedies for rising inequality in the United States.

Readings are drawn from across the social sciences, and are chosen to highlight the key questions at stake in the study of the tension between inequality and democracy.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Anyone interested in learning how scholars measure inequality and try to understand its political origins and consequences
Learning Objectives:
1) Learn how social scientists measure different forms of economic inequality
2) Understand the key elements of the debate between libertarian and egalitarian views of inequality
3) Appreciate the sources of the long-term evolution of economic inequality around the world
4) Gain insight into the sources of recent increase in inequality in the USA, including racial and gender inequities
5) Understand the nature of "social welfare state" government policies by placing the USA in comparative perspective
6) Consider the extent to which average citizens understand inequality and its effects
7) Evaluate the impact of economic inequality on political representation
8) Appreciate the impact of local-level distributions of power on inequalities in the Twin Cities
Grading:
Grades will be based on five short assignments (2 pp each), a longer research paper (10 pp) and participation in a class debate.
Exam Format:
There is no midterm or final in this class
Class Format:
Lecture, group discussion and activities
Workload:
Reading will *average* about 100 pages per week. Students will also frequently engage with videos and interactive websites
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/51850/1213
Past Syllabi:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/dsamuels_POL3464_Spring2020.pdf (Spring 2020)
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
23 October 2019

ClassInfo Links - Spring 2021 Political Science Classes

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