Review for Final Exam

The final exam in this class will take place on Thursday, May 1, in our regular classroom, between 7 pm and 9 pm.  The exam will be comprehensive, though it will also focus more directly on material covered since the last exam (Olson's Rise and Decline of Nations).  The exam will consist of three questions, all of which will be mandatory:

1.  There will be a 20 point question that asks you to discuss your term paper and those of other students (be sure to read the last blog assignment's comments).
2.  There will be a 30 point question asking you to summarize and evaluate the Olson book using evidence from the book, lectures, class discussions, and the blog assignment on that book (be sure to read your colleagues' excellent analysis in the blog comments!).
3.  There will be a 50 point question related to the theme of the class:  the relationship between interest groups and democracy.  This will ask you to use the course materials (readings, blog assignments, lectures, class discussions, and other exercises) to answer a basic question.  You will be expected to use material from multiple sections of the course, but you will not be required to use any single particular item.

For those who want to discuss the material and ask questions, in addition to the review in class on Monday, April 21, you will have the following opportunities:
1.  I will have my regular office hours on Wednesday, April 23.
2.  I will have extra office hours on Friday, April 25, from 12:00 to 12:45, and on Monday, April 28, from 12:30 to 2:30.
3.  You may email questions until 10 am on the day of the exam.
4.  You may post questions in the comments section of this post until 10 am on the day of the exam.  Don't forget to check back on exam day to read the answers to your colleagues' questions.

Note again that there will be no class on Wednesday, April 23.  Instead, I will be administering makeup exams during class time (in our regular room) to those who had excused absences from one of the earlier exams.

Good luck!

Last Blog Assignment

Hi, everyone!  The end is in sight!  People did an excellent job on this week's blog assignment.  To review the schedule, on Monday, April 21, papers are due by class time.  If you still haven't seen the paper topics (that would be bad), they are on the blog in an entry below.  Also on Monday, I will distribute the review sheet for the final exam and be available to talk about it in class.  I'll have regular office hours next week (April 21 and 23), and I'll have office hours to be announced on Monday, April 28.  The final exam (cumulative, with an emphasis on the last book) is on Thursday, May 1, in our regular room, from 7 pm to 9 pm. 

So, your final blog assignment, worth 15 points, is simple.  After you finish your paper, write a one paragraph summary of your paper in the comments section below (feel free to argue gently with your colleagues).  You should also make sure, before the final, to read all the comments.  Comments are due on Wednesday, April 23, at class time.  Note, however, that there is no class that day.  Rather, I will administer makeup exams to those who missed one of the exams with an excused absence (I think there are only people taking exam #2; please correct me via email if I'm wrong).--NB

Do Interest Groups Damage the Economy?

In his book,  The Rise and Decline of Nations, that all of you have been reading with great interest, Mancur Olson argues that interest groups are often a detriment to the economy.  Specifically, he claims that, over time, more potential groups find a way to overcome the free rider problem.  Thus, time in a stable polity leads to the formation of more (narrow) interest groups.  Groups lead to demands on government, which increases the size of government (which in turn slows economic growth).  Further, groups are inefficient and make it harder to adapt to technological change.  This, too, slows the economy.

Olson tests his theory in a number of ways, particularly using data from the 50 US states, as well as Western economies.  He generally finds that his theory is correct.  Others disagree with him.

Your task is to analyze Olson's theory and his evidence.  Making use of the book, our class discussions, and other readings (use Googlescholar to find oodles of pieces that extend and critique Olson's book), what do you think of Olson's theory?  Does the evidence support his theory?  Be as specific as possible.

This assignment is worth 25 points, and it is due at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, April 16.  Good luck!