Lesson Report:
### Class: Political Parties, Elections, and Midterm Review
#### Synopsis:
This lesson aimed to review the midterm exam results, offer solutions to common problems encountered, and continue discussing the structures and roles of political parties in electoral systems. The professor focused on explaining grading inconsistencies, particularly in the short answer section, and provided five free points to all students for that portion. The lecture also covered different election systems (majoritarian, proportional, and mixed), their effects on representation, and how they relate to democratic legitimacy. Key points regarding strategies for answering short-answer questions were also addressed in great detail.
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### Attendance:
– Approximately **30 students** were missing from the class.
– Notable absentees: **Eldar**, **Albina**, **Birke**, **Salma**, **Imat**, **Yerasel**, and **Bakhtigul**.
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### Topics Covered:
#### 1. **Midterm Review**
– **Apology for Delay in Grading:** The instructor explained the grading delay and apologized for the time it took to provide feedback on the midterms.
– **Breakdown of Grading Discrepancy:**
Observations of variances in the multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay sections, with short-answer questions presenting the greatest difficulty for the majority of the class.
– **Addition of Five Points to the Short Answer Section:**
Across-the-board bonus enforced to mitigate perceived unfairness in scoring.
– **Open Offer for Detailed Feedback:**
Students were encouraged to email for deeper feedback beyond the reduced commentary provided on assignments.
#### 2. **Strategies for Short Answer Questions**
– **Purpose of Short-Answer Questions:**
The professor broke down what was assessed in various exam components, focusing on knowledge and demonstration of the ability to connect concepts.
– **Best Practices:**
Start with clear definitions, connect terms (like sovereignty and legitimacy to stability), and explain these connections with examples.
– **Sample Question Breakdown:**
“Explain how the concepts of sovereignty and legitimacy are essential to the functioning of a stable state.”
– **Key Definitions:** Sovereignty (supreme power, independence), legitimacy (acceptance and authority of government), and stability (law and order, functioning institutions).
– **Connecting Concepts:** How lack of legitimacy or sovereignty could lead to instability (via unrest, protests, lack of law and order).
– **Sketching an Outline of Answers:**
Emphasized outlining connections and explaining conclusions to answer completely. Gave example phrases like “demonstrate connections� to lead students into deeper analysis.
#### 3. **Political Parties**
– **Role and Function of Political Parties:**
Explained the purpose of political parties in streamlining voting around a set of beliefs and representing ideologies. Political parties put forward candidates, which distinguishes them from interest groups.
– **Ideology and Policy Representation:**
A political party represents a shared ideology and packages policies into a system voters can support.
– **Comparison with Interest Groups:**
Interest groups may advocate for particular issues but do not directly seek to enter positions of power like political parties.
#### 4. **Electoral Systems**
– **Different Electoral Systems:**
– **Majoritarian (First-Past-the-Post & Two-Round Systems):** Simple majority rule leads to a focus on 50+% of votes and often excludes minority groups.
– **Proportional Representation:** Ensures a broader representation of parties by distributing seats depending on the percentage of votes received, allowing for coalition governments. Examples: The Netherlands, Germany.
– **Mixed Systems:** Combination allowing proportional and majoritarian elements in electing multiple levels of government.
– **Implications of Majoritarian Systems:**
– **Tyranny of the Majority:** Majority groups’ consistent dominance overlooks minority interests, leading to underrepresentation in systems like the U.S.
– **Impact on Party Size:** Majoritarian systems favor large parties, often leading to bipartisan systems like in the U.S.
#### 5. **Democracy and Legitimacy**
– **Democracy as a Source of Legitimacy:**
Even in non-democratic countries, elections are often used to lend a veneer of legitimacy to ruling regimes, showing the importance of democratic appearance.
#### 6. **Importance of Systems in Representation**
– **Proportional vs. Majoritarian Systems:**
Majoritarian systems often result in two-party dominance, while proportional systems allow multi-party representation, allowing different interest groups more say in governance.
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### Actionable Items:
#### **Midterm Exam:**
– **Grade Adjustments:**
– All students automatically receive five additional points for their short answer section.
– Email if personalized, in-depth feedback is desired.
#### **Course Progression:**
– **Preparation for Final Exam:**
The final exam will mirror the midterm structure with multiple choice, short answers, and essays (potential removal of multiple choice).
– Continue Monday’s class topics (political parties and elections) into final preparations.
#### **Upcoming Assignments:**
– **Preparation for Thursday’s Class:**
Students are reminded to **read the reading on D-Course** in preparation for a discussion about the **role of the media** in shaping political opinions.
Homework Instructions:
NO HOMEWORK
No homework was assigned as there was no mention in the transcript of any specific task or assignment given to the students regarding the upcoming lesson or any material outside of class. The lecture concluded with taking attendance and additional discussions, including future impacts of the lessons but without any direct homework assignment being stated.