This course examines the nature of public opinion, with a particular focus on the United States. In an ideal world, citizens hold informed opinions about issues, candidates, and parties, and these opinions guide their decisions at the ballot box. In turn, when political elites fail to represent these beliefs, they are held accountable and face electoral consequences. As you have likely gathered from your own observations of politics, however, democracy rarely works so cleanly. In this course, we will examine why this is the case by considering several questions that animate scholarship on public opinion: How do citizens form and organize their political beliefs? How do we measure those beliefs? Are citizens generally informed about politics, and do they hold coherent opinions on the major issues of the day? If not, how do they make the complex choices required of democratic citizens?
The first half of the course focuses on how citizens form and organize their political opinions. We will examine scholarly debates about the nature of belief systems, the construction of mass opinion, and political knowledge. In light of generally low levels of “political sophistication” among the mass public, we will ask what other tools are available to citizens to make decisions that reflect their preferences, and whether these tools are sufficient for them to do so. We will also explore sources of structure in how people approach politics, including their experiences in youth and partisan allegiances (or lack thereof).
During the second half of the semester, we will turn to topics that can help us make sense of central challenges facing American democracy. For instance, we will chart how the American public grew so polarized and discuss the nature of contemporary polarization. We then consider racial animus as a central organizing force in the study of public opinion and review debates about how scholars have measured these attitudes. Finally, we will review conditions in which attitude change occurs through cues from the media, elites, and other citizens in ways that either enhance political conflict or (more rarely) promote compromise.
Alongside these substantive topics, we will also complete a semester-long Pilot Survey Project. Through this project, we will work on transforming research questions into theoretical arguments. Then, we will discuss how to translate abstract concepts into survey measures. Finally, we will revise these questionnaires collaboratively and administer small pilot surveys. The goal of this project is to experience the early phases of social science research and for you to build expertise on those topics that you find most intriguing!
The first half of the course focuses on how citizens form and organize their political opinions. We will examine scholarly debates about the nature of belief systems, the construction of mass opinion, and political knowledge. In light of generally low levels of “political sophistication” among the mass public, we will ask what other tools are available to citizens to make decisions that reflect their preferences, and whether these tools are sufficient for them to do so. We will also explore sources of structure in how people approach politics, including their experiences in youth and partisan allegiances (or lack thereof).
During the second half of the semester, we will turn to topics that can help us make sense of central challenges facing American democracy. For instance, we will chart how the American public grew so polarized and discuss the nature of contemporary polarization. We then consider racial animus as a central organizing force in the study of public opinion and review debates about how scholars have measured these attitudes. Finally, we will review conditions in which attitude change occurs through cues from the media, elites, and other citizens in ways that either enhance political conflict or (more rarely) promote compromise.
Alongside these substantive topics, we will also complete a semester-long Pilot Survey Project. Through this project, we will work on transforming research questions into theoretical arguments. Then, we will discuss how to translate abstract concepts into survey measures. Finally, we will revise these questionnaires collaboratively and administer small pilot surveys. The goal of this project is to experience the early phases of social science research and for you to build expertise on those topics that you find most intriguing!
- Docente: Carlos Rueda-Cañón