What is Politics (Ch1 P1)

Summary

Dr. James Smith warmly welcomes students to his political science course, 'Poly Sideland,' highlighting its rigorous nature and the benefits it offers, such as college credits and preparation for future courses. He emphasizes the students' discipline, organizational skills, and ability to recognize educational opportunities. Smith discusses the dynamic nature of politics, influenced by current events, and its impact on various aspects of life, including the pandemic response. He introduces the concept of politics as a process of distribution of resources and power, using historical and current political examples to illustrate who benefits and how political decisions shape society.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Dr. Smith welcomes students to a political science course, emphasizing the importance of the subject and the opportunity it presents for students.
• 🏆 The course is described as 'kick ass' and not just any ordinary course, suggesting high quality and unique content.
• 🚀 Students are congratulated for being in the course, indicating that it's a privilege and a mark of distinction among their peers.
• 💼 The course is positioned as a stepping stone for future college success, offering college credits and a head start on higher education.
• 🏛️ The political science course is linked to current events and politics, highlighting its relevance and the dynamic nature of the subject.
• 🌟 Dr. Smith discusses the concept of politics using the metaphor of a river, illustrating that politics is ever-changing and context-dependent.
• 🌐 The script touches on various aspects of life that influence politics, such as personal well-being, family, wealth, education, and geographical location.
• 🏆 The script emphasizes the importance of education and how it's perceived differently, with the course being a voluntary step in one's educational journey.
• 🌱 Dr. Smith discusses the politicization of the pandemic and how it divided the nation, contrasting it with the unified response during World War II.
• 🔍 The script concludes with a teaser for the next video, which will focus on power, indicating that power dynamics are central to understanding politics.

Q & A

What does Dr. Smith refer to as 'Poly Sideland'?

Dr. Smith uses the term 'Poly Sideland' as a playful and informal name for the political science course he is teaching, which he also refers to as 'Polycyland'.

Why does Dr. Smith congratulate the students for being in the course?

Dr. Smith congratulates the students because being in the course indicates that they are strivers with discipline and organizational skills, and that they recognize the opportunity the course provides for college credit and preparation for future studies.

What does Dr. Smith imply about the students' status within their school?

Dr. Smith implies that the students are in the top tier of their school because an administrator had to vouch for them to take the advanced course, indicating they are among the most capable and motivated students.

How does Dr. Smith describe the nature of the political science course?

Dr. Smith describes the political science course as constantly changing, much like a river, due to the dynamic nature of politics and current events, ensuring that each semester's course content is timely and relevant.

What does Dr. Smith suggest about the impact of politics on the pandemic response?

Dr. Smith suggests that politics played a divisive role during the pandemic, leading to different responses such as anti-vaxers versus pro-vaxers, which could have been united under different political circumstances, similar to the unity seen during World War II.

What is the significance of the 1.5 trillion dollar tax cut mentioned by Dr. Smith?

The 1.5 trillion dollar tax cut, mentioned by Dr. Smith, is significant as it predominantly benefited the top 1% of wealth holders in the country, illustrating the distribution of benefits through political decisions.

How does Dr. Smith connect the political decisions to the concept of 'who gets what'?

Dr. Smith connects political decisions to the concept of 'who gets what' by discussing how different political administrations, like Trump's tax cut or Biden's legislative agenda, determine the allocation of resources and benefits to different segments of society.

What does Dr. Smith suggest will be the focus of the next video chat?

Dr. Smith suggests that the next video chat will focus on the concept of power, which he implies is the most important variable in politics.

Why does Dr. Smith consider the students as college students and adults?

Dr. Smith considers the students as college students and adults because they are enrolled in a college-level course and are thus treated with the maturity and academic expectations associated with higher education.

What is the historical context behind the course offerings mentioned by Dr. Smith?

Dr. Smith mentions that the course offerings, particularly in political science and mathematics, were established during the Cold War era to ensure that students were equipped to understand and compete against ideological threats, such as the Soviet Union.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Introduction to Poly Sideland Course

Dr. James Smith warmly welcomes students to the Poly Sideland course, expressing his enthusiasm and excitement for the class. He congratulates the students for being part of this political science course, which he believes is exceptional and not just any ordinary course. Dr. Smith highlights the students' discipline, organizational skills, and ability to recognize opportunities as key traits that set them apart. He explains that the course will provide a significant advantage for future college studies and will grant students three free college units. He also emphasizes that being in the course indicates that the students are among the top tier of their school, as they have been endorsed by an administrator. Dr. Smith assures that while the course covers standard political science topics, the content will be unique due to the ever-changing nature of politics and current events, drawing an analogy to the saying that one can never cross the same river twice.

05:02

🌟 Personal and Socioeconomic Factors in Politics

Dr. Smith delves into the personal and socioeconomic factors that influence politics, starting with the question of how the students are doing in life. He explores the importance of well-being and the impact of family and friends on an individual's happiness. He then transitions into discussing economic status, questioning what it means to be rich or poor and how these factors might affect one's life. Dr. Smith also touches on race, gender, and education levels, emphasizing that education is an ongoing process and that being in the course signifies a level of education. He further discusses the urban-rural divide and how it might affect one's political views and values. Dr. Smith concludes this segment by asking students to reflect on their government's performance and their own happiness and optimism, suggesting that these are all intertwined with politics.

10:03

🗳️ The Role of Politics in Society and Governance

In this segment, Dr. Smith discusses the broader implications of politics in society and governance. He asks if the government is doing a good job and encourages students to consider different levels of government, from federal to local. He uses the analogy of a school administration as a microcosm of government to illustrate how governance affects daily life. Dr. Smith also reflects on the students' status as high school seniors and soon-to-be college students, treating them with the respect and consideration of adults. He emphasizes that the course content is the same as what is taught at the college level, indicating the seriousness and depth of the material. Dr. Smith then transitions into a discussion of the nation's current political climate, using the pandemic as an example of how politics can divide or unite a country. He criticizes the politicization of the pandemic and contrasts it with the unified response during World War II, suggesting that different political approaches could have led to different outcomes.

15:17

💡 Defining Politics and Its Impact on Society

Dr. Smith provides a definition of politics, referencing Harold Lasswell's famous definition that politics is about 'who gets what, when, where, how, and why.' He simplifies it further by mentioning Theodore Lowi's view that politics is about 'who gets what.' Dr. Smith uses the example of the students receiving free college units as a way to illustrate how politics affects individuals. He discusses the historical context of the California university system and how it was designed to be accessible and competitive during the Cold War. He then contrasts the Trump administration's tax cut, which largely benefited the wealthy, with Biden's legislative agenda, which included measures like unemployment benefits, healthcare expansion, infrastructure investment, and climate change policy. Dr. Smith concludes by noting the political implications of these actions and sets the stage for the next discussion on power in politics.

20:17

🏛️ The Shifting Political Landscape and Future Implications

Dr. Smith discusses the current political landscape, focusing on the legislative achievements of the Biden administration and the subsequent loss of the midterm elections. He outlines the various acts and policies that were passed, such as the Cares Act, infrastructure bill, gun safety law, and the Inflation Reduction Act. He also mentions the political promises made by candidates, including Trump's potential rollback of climate laws and Vice President Harris's proposed tax credits for children. Dr. Smith emphasizes the importance of understanding who benefits from political decisions and actions, which is a central theme of the course. He concludes the segment by预告ing the next discussion on the concept of power in political science.

Keywords

💡Poly Sideland

Poly Sideland appears to be a playful and informal term used by Dr. Smith to refer to the field of political science, or more specifically, the course he is teaching. It is meant to be an engaging and memorable way to introduce students to the subject matter. The term is used to create a sense of excitement and to differentiate this course from typical offerings, suggesting a dynamic and possibly unconventional approach to teaching political science.

💡Striver

In the context of the video script, a 'striver' is someone who is highly motivated and works hard to achieve their goals. Dr. Smith uses this term to describe his students, implying that their enrollment in the course is a reflection of their ambition and determination. The term is positive and is meant to encourage students, acknowledging their efforts to excel academically.

💡Discipline

Discipline, as mentioned by Dr. Smith, refers to the self-control and orderliness needed to successfully complete tasks or achieve goals. He suggests that students in the course possess discipline, which is why they are able to participate in a college-level course. Discipline is a key attribute that Dr. Smith believes is necessary for success in both the course and in life.

💡Organizational Skills

Organizational skills are the ability to plan, prioritize, and manage time and resources effectively. Dr. Smith implies that students in the course have these skills, as they are necessary to handle the demands of a college course. These skills are highlighted as important for academic success and are a trait that Dr. Smith commends in his students.

💡Opportunity

Opportunity, in the script, refers to the chance or possibility of doing something or achieving a goal. Dr. Smith suggests that his students recognize and seize opportunities, such as enrolling in the course, which will provide them with a head start in their academic careers. The concept is used to emphasize the value of the course and the proactive nature of the students.

💡College Units

College units are a measure used in higher education to quantify the amount of academic work represented by a course. Dr. Smith mentions that the course will award students with three college units, which can be applied towards their degree requirements. This is an incentive for students, as it represents tangible academic credit for their work.

💡Top Tier

The term 'top tier' is used by Dr. Smith to describe the highest level or category of quality. In the context of the script, he suggests that the students in the course are among the best at their school, as they have been approved by administrators to take this advanced course. This term is used to flatter and motivate the students, implying that they are part of an elite group.

💡Politics

Politics is the focus of the course and the central theme of the video script. Dr. Smith discusses politics in various contexts, from the personal impact on students' lives to the broader implications on society and governance. The term is used to encompass the study of how power is acquired and used, as well as the dynamics between different groups and individuals within a society.

💡Pandemic

The pandemic is mentioned as a recent historical event that has had significant political implications. Dr. Smith discusses how the response to the pandemic was politicized, leading to divisions within the country. This term is used to illustrate the real-world impact of politics and how it can influence public health policy and societal cohesion.

💡Unity and Division

Unity and division are contrasting concepts that Dr. Smith uses to discuss the effects of politics on a nation's culture and people. He contrasts the unified response during World War II with the divided response during the pandemic, suggesting that politics can either bring people together or drive them apart. These terms are central to understanding the video's message about the role of politics in shaping societal outcomes.

💡Legislative Agenda

A legislative agenda refers to a plan or set of priorities that a government intends to address through the creation and passage of laws. Dr. Smith discusses President Biden's legislative agenda, including various acts and bills that were passed, as examples of political achievements. This term is used to demonstrate how politics can lead to tangible policy changes.

Highlights

Welcome to Poly Sideland, a unique political science course.

Congratulations to students for being part of this course, indicating their strive and discipline.

This course will provide a leg up for future college courses and offer 3 free college units.

Students are in the top tier of their school, as evidenced by administrative vouching for their participation.

The course content will not be the same as previous iterations due to the dynamic nature of politics.

Current events will be integrated into the course to keep discussions relevant and timely.

The course will cover the same subjects as a typical intro to political science but with unique perspectives.

Students' personal situations, such as wealth, education, and location, influence their political views.

The pandemic response was politicized, leading to division rather than unity.

Politics can be seen as a process of determining who gets what, when, where, how, and why.

The course is designed to be non-cost prohibitive, reflecting political decisions of the past.

The Trump administration's significant legislative victory was a 1.5 trillion dollar tax cut, mostly benefiting the wealthy.

Biden's legislative agenda included extending unemployment benefits, expanding healthcare, and passing infrastructure bills.

The midterm elections resulted in a split Congress, halting further legislative action.

Upcoming elections will determine what policies and benefits different groups in society will receive.

The next video will discuss power, a critical variable in politics.

Transcripts

James Smith: And good morning, scholar.

James Smith: This is Dr. Smith talking, and I believe this will be the 1st time that you hear my voice.

James Smith: So I think the 1st thing I want to ask you is this, are you fired up.

James Smith: ready to go?

James Smith: Welcome to what I call Poly Sideland?

James Smith: Holly, silent. Whatever you want to call it.

James Smith: I think the 1st thing I want to do is say congratulations to you

James Smith: for being in the course.

James Smith: Now, why would somebody congratulate somebody else

James Smith: for being in a course.

James Smith: Wow!

James Smith: This isn't just any course.

James Smith: Right? This is kick ass, political science.

James Smith: what we just call Polycyland. Now.

James Smith: the fact that you're in this course is going to tell me something about you.

James Smith: Right tells me a lot to be honest with you.

James Smith: One. It tells me that you are a striver

James Smith: and that you strive to do well.

James Smith: It tells me that you have discipline

James Smith: right? And you have organization skills.

James Smith: If you didn't have discipline, and you didn't have organizational skills, you would not be here

James Smith: right.

James Smith: And it also tells me that you know an opportunity. When you see one.

James Smith: You realize, for example, that this is a college course, and this college course is going to help prepare you for well other college courses.

James Smith: It's going to give you a leg up if you will next year.

James Smith: It's also going to give you 3 college units on your transcript. So that's 3 college units. You're not going to have to pay for, or somebody else isn't going to have to pay for

James Smith: next year, and if you successfully pass this class and you take next semester's class an introduction to the American form of government.

James Smith: Well, that's another 3 units. So that's a total of 6 units right there.

James Smith: Right? Not too bad, you know an opportunity when you see one. Right.

James Smith: but it tells me something else, right? It tells me that you are in the top

James Smith: tier

James Smith: of students at your school.

James Smith: the top tier of students at your school, right? Because an administrator had to vouch for you in order for you to take this class. You can't just take this class

James Smith: right? You have to ask to take this class, and then somebody on your administration side has to put your name

James Smith: and your record

James Smith: to this class and this program, and say, yes, you are a good fit for this

James Smith: alright. So congratulations you. You are standing out

James Smith: right, and I'm glad to have you

James Smith: and I welcome you to our journey together.

James Smith: Now

James Smith: you may have had a sibling or a friend who has

James Smith: taken their own journey through Poli sci land, and you might have heard something about this particular course and this particular program. And and that is true. What you heard is probably true, but I want to tell you that you're not going to be taking the same course. Yes, it's intro to Poli sci.

James Smith: It's 1. 0, 1!

James Smith: We're going to cover the same subjects. We're doing all that.

James Smith: But you know there's a saying.

James Smith: and the back country

James Smith: that I've used quite a bit.

James Smith: and that is this, you know you never cross the same river twice.

James Smith: If you're on your way to Summit

James Smith: a peak and you have to cross a river. You're going to do that in the morning, and you're going to do that in the morning because well, there's less snow melt. The river is going to be its lowest.

James Smith: and it's gonna be easier to forge that river. So you forge that river in the morning

James Smith: and you go on a new summit.

James Smith: and when you come back you have to force that river in the other direction. But it's not going to be the same river.

James Smith: Yes, it's the same location. Yes, there's water in the river. Yes, there's rocks in the river just like before, but the water is going to be different, right? It's not the same water. There's probably going to be more of it, because you're in the afternoon, and so there is more snow melt, and a river is constantly changing.

James Smith: and because this course focuses on politics, it, like the river, is constantly changing.

James Smith: We have a whole new

James Smith: set of events.

James Smith: both internationally and nationally

James Smith: that we will be focusing on this semester that we did not focus in past semesters simply because well, those things hadn't occurred. Yet. We are in a different point in time.

James Smith: so you never cross the same river twice.

James Smith: and one thing you will notice is that my talks to you are going to be as current as I can make them. So I can bring in all the relevant current information and events to help make the points that I'm trying to make to help you understand

James Smith: what elements of politics that we happen to be discussing at that particular moment.

James Smith: So I do these chats kind of in real time for you

James Smith: alright, and I think it's going to help. So it's not going to be the exact same course, and it's not going to be set up exactly the same either, although we will cover the same subjects.

James Smith: probably in the same order.

James Smith: Fair enough.

James Smith: Alright.

James Smith: Anyhow, lots going on these days. I don't know if you've been paying attention.

James Smith: But let's start talking a little bit about politics. I want to start by asking you this very basic question.

James Smith: how is your life?

James Smith: How are you doing?

James Smith: Somebody asked you that recently has anybody sat you down and just said, Hey.

James Smith: how are you?

James Smith: How are you doing?

James Smith: That's kind of a very

James Smith: broad question like, How how are you doing? What does that mean? How am I doing emotionally? How am I doing physically today? How do I feel?

James Smith: You know what I'm trying to get at? Is, what is your well-being?

James Smith: How was your life?

James Smith: Are you on the right track, or are you on the wrong track?

James Smith: I'm assuming you're in this course, and that has something to do with the track that you're on.

James Smith: How is your family doing

James Smith: your family doing well, or are they not so well?

James Smith: How are the members of your family doing

James Smith: right?

James Smith: I guess that kind of leads into this question. You know, how are you doing like, you know, it's kind of like, what is your situation?

James Smith: What is your situation by situation, I mean like, do you belong to any groups?

James Smith: Are you rich.

James Smith: your family rich.

James Smith: your family poor?

James Smith: Are you poor

James Smith: somewhere in between? What does it mean to be rich? What does it mean to be poor? I don't know. I'm not giving those things definitions. I know I know I'm not rich personally, but the Government thinks I am.

James Smith: but I'm certainly not poor either.

James Smith: If I need new shoes I get them.

James Smith: I need new clothes. I get them

James Smith: right.

James Smith: not letting a price increase. Keep me away from a little bit of bacon.

James Smith: I'm not keeping a increasing gas, keeping me away from taking a trip

James Smith: alright.

James Smith: And are you white?

James Smith: Are you non-white.

James Smith: you mail!

James Smith: You've been male

James Smith: something else

James Smith: about educated. Are you educated, or are you not educated?

James Smith: What does that mean?

James Smith: People would look at me, and they would look at my credentials, and they say, there goes an educated man.

James Smith: and, to be clear, I do have credentials in that particular area.

James Smith: Some pretty good ones.

James Smith: but education never ends.

James Smith: It's ongoing.

James Smith: You may not consider yourself to be educated, but I consider you to be educated simply because you are in the process of

James Smith: well, your education.

James Smith: Now, some of that education, of course, is compulsory. The Government is telling you you have to go to school

James Smith: for this many years.

James Smith: and you have to learn this many things.

James Smith: But you know this course is part of your education, but it's voluntary.

James Smith: Nobody's mandating that you take this course, you had to ask to do it. You had to get permission to do it. Somebody had to vouch for you right? So you are in the process of being educated.

James Smith: and say that if you're you're educated, if you take look at education as a continuum, as a scale, we're all on that scale somewhere. It's an educated scale. You are on it.

James Smith: Do you consider yourself to be urban or rural?

James Smith: Well, if you're living in San Diego, the chances are we're gonna identify as urban. Now, that makes a difference, right? Because your attitudes, your expression, the things that matter to you

James Smith: values. They may change depending on whether you're urban

James Smith: or whether you're rural.

James Smith: Now in San Diego we can call ourselves coastal, right?

James Smith: We're urban coastal.

James Smith: get more specific. We're West coast urban

James Smith: right as opposed to East coast, urban

James Smith: different values, different attitudes, different mannerisms.

James Smith: different customs.

James Smith: alright.

James Smith: all those things may play into what we call our politics.

James Smith: how we view the world

James Smith: about your friends.

James Smith: I know you got friends.

James Smith: Alright.

James Smith: Are your friends happy?

James Smith: Are they pleased?

James Smith: If your friends are happy, and if your friends are pleased, the chances are pretty good that you're happy and you're pleased.

James Smith: Your friends are unhappy, and they're displeased while you're probably the same

James Smith: birds of a feather tend to flock together.

James Smith: You know what I mean.

James Smith: Let's talk a little bit about our Government

James Smith: overall. Is the Government doing a good job? Or are they doing a bad job?

James Smith: What do we mean by government? Do we mean the Federal government? Or do we mean the State government, or we mean the local government.

James Smith: In a way, you have a school administration that's like a micro government.

James Smith: Are they doing a good job?

James Smith: Alright? And then, even within the government. What do we mean? Do we mean the executive branch of the Government? Do we mean the Congress, the legislative branch? Do we mean the judiciary. I mean, it all gets melted into one big cauldron that we call politics.

James Smith: Are you happy with school?

James Smith: I know you're just starting out.

James Smith: It's your final year of high school.

James Smith: and you got one foot in the college door

James Smith: now, just for the record, when I interact with you.

James Smith: and when I think of you.

James Smith: And when I make decisions about you.

James Smith: and you could be you individually, and you could also be your your course, your group, your class as a cohort.

James Smith: I'm thinking of you as a college student.

James Smith: I'm thinking of you as an adult.

James Smith: I don't know if your other teachers think of you that way. But I certainly think of you that way. This is a college course.

James Smith: I teach college courses at San Diego State up until very recently, and I teach courses at California State University of San Marcos, and I can tell you

James Smith: they get the same course that you're getting here.

James Smith: Alright.

James Smith: Same course.

James Smith: Are you happy overall. Are you pleased?

James Smith: Are you optimistic, or are you pessimistic?

James Smith: Right?

James Smith: This is all politics.

James Smith: right? This is all politics, and where we are today as a nation.

James Smith: With all that we go, we have going on

James Smith: alright. This is a result of decisions that we have made

James Smith: along the way.

James Smith: you know. Take the pandemic.

James Smith: Oh, my God, yeah, we're gonna talk about the pandemic and our response to it.

James Smith: You know, the pandemic played out a certain way, and you were there, and

James Smith: and you kind of remember. But

James Smith: and though it didn't have to play out that way

James Smith: right, what do I mean by that?

James Smith: That pandemic was what we call politicized.

James Smith: The event was used by the powers that be to divide rather than unite the country

James Smith: alright.

James Smith: We could have had different politics. We could have had politics, the way that we had it in World War Ii, where we had an existential threat against Nazis and authoritarianism.

James Smith: we unified as a nation, and we

James Smith: tackled that challenge

James Smith: together.

James Smith: We were all in it, and we had to win it, or we were going to die

James Smith: or speak German very shortly

James Smith: alright.

James Smith: but rather than unite us as a force during the pandemic, we were divided

James Smith: right anti-vaxers, vaxers, you know. Mask Antimask.

James Smith: Alright. Why was that? That was because of politics.

James Smith: because there's kind of this feeling that in politics you don't need the whole.

James Smith: You just need enough.

James Smith: So think of the country and the culture.

James Smith: and who we are as a nation, as a great big boulder.

James Smith: big, strong border that cannot be moved.

James Smith: But if you take a sledgehammer and you start whacking away at that boulder, and you start breaking it into bigger pieces and then smaller pieces, and then smaller pieces, and you just keep hammering away at that rock. You're breaking that culture up. You're breaking that uniformity up. You're breaking it up into a bunch of little pieces.

James Smith: and the idea is that you don't need the whole rock. You just need half the pieces, plus one more piece, and you can win.

James Smith: That's what Putin is trying to do to the West. If he can break the West up into a bunch of little pieces, then he has a better chance.

James Smith: Right?

James Smith: If we had different politics during the pandemic we would have had different results.

James Smith: might not have lasted as long, might not have had as many deaths, etc, etc.

James Smith: But that was politics, folks. And then, after the pandemic, we had a different set of politics, and of course, now

James Smith: post post pandemic, there's a new set of politics.

James Smith: and part of that politics is going to be, or at least one side of that politics seems to be, at the moment at least, to try to unite and bring together as many as possible while the other is trying to break down and just keep as many as they need

James Smith: to. When

James Smith: we've been talking a little bit about politics. I guess it's high time that we define what it is.

James Smith: and some of you have already read ahead in the book, and you know what I'm about to say. Right? Politics is not really easy to define until we give it an easy definition.

James Smith: In other words, we kind of struggled with

James Smith: defining politics for a while.

James Smith: Then Harold Laswell kind of came up with the definition.

James Smith: the politics is, who gets what, when, where, how, and why? So politics is a process.

James Smith: a process of determining who gets what?

James Smith: When do they get it? Where do they get it? And how do they get it

James Smith: later. Theodore Lowy, another political scientist, made it even simpler when he said, politics is simply the study of who gets what

James Smith: you see. Everybody is getting a little something, something all the time.

James Smith: including you.

James Smith: You right now, you scholar.

James Smith: you're getting something. What are you getting? You're getting access to a college course that you don't have to pay for that you're going to get 3 units for, and all you have to do is the work.

James Smith: Why are you getting that?

James Smith: What makes you so damn special that you get that?

James Smith: Well, guess what? You're not the 1st one to get this. We've been given this away for some time

James Smith: back in the 1960 s.

James Smith: People in power made a decision that college should not be cost prohibitive. Anybody who qualifies for and wants to have a college degree that should be attainable.

James Smith: So the State set up a beautiful university system, consisting of the Ucs. Consisting of the csus, and consisting of the community college system.

James Smith: which is now the backbone of the California economy.

James Smith: And it's non-cost prohibitive.

James Smith: Now, you're getting this class for free.

James Smith: You're not paying anything

James Smith: right, because around the same time it was also determined that we had to win the Cold War.

James Smith: and we needed students to understand politics. And we needed students to understand mathematics. And so those were the courses that were offered in this program so that we can compete against the Frickin Soviet Union.

James Smith: Alright!

James Smith: Those damn commie bastards!

James Smith: Well, we don't really have the Cold War as a necessity for the program. Once you have a program, though, and once people understand it as a benefit.

James Smith: Well, you might as well kind of keep it, because it does make us more competitive. Right? You got something.

James Smith: Yay, politics got you this.

James Smith: Alright. Let's go back to the Trump Administration. That was political

James Smith: right. Who got what trump did not have a lot of legislative victories or accomplishments rather

James Smith: while he was President, but he did have one big one, and that big one

James Smith: was a 1.5 trillion dollar tax cut.

James Smith: the majority of which went to the top 1%

James Smith: of wealth holders

James Smith: in the country.

James Smith: in fact, at a big reception that night at Mar-a-lago, celebrating the legislative victory.

James Smith: all of Trump's plutocratic friends were there, and he said, I just made you very, very rich.

James Smith: They got something

James Smith: well. Trump did not win reelection, and Joe Biden became President, and what happened then?

James Smith: He had a Democratic House for 2 years, and he had a Democratic Senate, so he was able to accomplish a legislative agenda

James Smith: right? He passed the Cares Act, which extended unemployment benefits.

James Smith: He expanded healthcare. This is around the pandemic. Time

James Smith: passed. A bipartisan infrastructure. Bill. Put 1.2 trillion dollars into building roads and bridges, and just well infrastructure that the country needs to modernize, to be able to compete in the future.

James Smith: It passed a gun safety law. That expanded background checks something everybody's clamoring for.

James Smith: It's not the best in the world, but it got something the 1st time.

James Smith: Alright.

James Smith: 52 billion dollars

James Smith: and the Chips act so that the United States can develop and manufacture our own computer chips without reliance on any foreign power for that

James Smith: 40 billion dollars for aid to Ukraine, so they can hold up

James Smith: a tyrannical

James Smith: invasion

James Smith: and the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the 1st time that any climate change policy

James Smith: was enacted into law.

James Smith: Alright, that's getting something

James Smith: that's getting something

James Smith: alright now.

James Smith: Biden, as most Presidents do.

James Smith: lost the midterm election.

James Smith: but he did not lose it

James Smith: to the extent that most prisons lose right.

James Smith: In other words, it was expected to be a big Republican takeover of the House and the Senate

James Smith: that did not really manifest itself. The House did change hands, and went Republican by the thinnest of majorities. But

James Smith: one house belonging to the opposite party of the President means that there is not going to be any more legislative action. And so that ended Biden's legislative

James Smith: agenda

James Smith: doesn't mean that he doesn't have power outside of that as an executive. He certainly does, and he can certainly do things. But as far as things being enacted into law well, that was over because of politics.

James Smith: And let's kind of look at what's going on right now. You have 2 candidates. Now we have a presumptive Democratic nominee. By the time you hear this, you will be the nominee, and you have the Republican nominee and see what they are saying that people are going to get if they're elected.

James Smith: For example, Donald Trump told the oil executives that if they were able to raise 1 billion dollars for his campaign, that he would undo every climate law that Biden did while he was in office.

James Smith: They're gonna get something.

James Smith: And what is Vice President Harris operate

James Smith: if she becomes President? Right? Tax credits for children, for example.

James Smith: alright

James Smith: kind of pay attention to those things, because that is politics, who gets what?

James Smith: And I'm going to leave it here because I've been talking a little over 20 min.

James Smith: And I'm going to go into the next video chat next video chat. We're going to talk about the most important variable in politics, which is

James Smith: you got it.

James Smith: power. We're going to talk about power the next time.

James Smith: and political science. Take care, scholar, it was nice talking to you today.