Yeoman ymn n 1a an attendant servant or lesser

yeo·man (ymn) n. 1a. An attendant, servant, or lesser official in a royal or noble household. b. A
yeoman of the guard. 2. A petty officer performing chiefly clerical duties in the US Navy. 3. An
assistant or other subordinate, as of a sheriff. 4. A diligent, dependable worker. 5. A farmer who
cultivates his own land, esp. a member of a former class of small freeholders in England.
[Middle
English yoman, perh. < Old English * gaman < Old Frisian gman, villager : g, region, district
man, man;
see man- 1 in App.]
zig·gu·rat (zg-rt) n. A temple tower of the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians, having the form
of a
terraced pyramid of successively receding stories. [Akkadian ziqqurratu, temple tower < zaqru,
to build
high.]
44
Government Notes: A Course Overview
Introduction
The study of Govt. and Politics involves the examination of non-market mechanisms – institutions, procedures, and behaviors –
connected
with allocating scarce resources.
Historically and currently there are a great many different arrangements – institutions and procedures – for making these
allocations.

1. Government by the one – Autocracy
2. Govt. by the few – Oligarchy
3. Govt. by the many – Democracy
4. The Institutions and Processes of governance are important because they determine who gets what, when, and how.
However, the behavior of people even channeled through the institutions and procedures, is widespread and constant. Why?The
nature of
human beings is a constant. They seek the same kinds of resources, they engage in permitted and impermissible behavior to attain
their
goals. What is the nature of human beings?
1. Acquisitive
2. Self-Aggrandizing
The Functions of Govt.
1. Allocate scarce resources authoritatively
2. Provide public goods and services
3. Defend the country from invasion
4. Maintain order – social, economic, and political order
Politics and governance can be viewed as conflictual and competitive. In this context, all participants do not have equal resources
a. Money
b. Influence
c. Knowledge
d. Vision of objective
e. Energy or stamina, i.e., commitment
All participants do not have same experience or expertise about how the system "works." All actors do not have the same skills.
Some face structural disadvantages:
a. right to vote
b. closed or private process of choice
3. All actors do not have the same arguments or contentions. Thus, some positions are advantaged by the merits. For example, the
status
quo position has advantages in any political or policy debate. It requires no change, or it requires doing nothing.
You should understand the politics of American government through concepts and theories employed in normative analysis
The study of American govt. involves the systematic study of politics. This is aided by the use of empirical theories for
explanation.