Contatti

Insegnamento a.a. 2020-2021

30481 - CURRENT POLITICAL PHENOMENA I

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 31

BIG (3 credits - I sem. - OBS | SPS/04)

Course Director:
LANNY MARTIN

Classes: 31 (I sem.)

Instructors:
Class 31: LANNY MARTIN

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

One of the core goals of political science research is to explain and predict the behavior of voters in democratic elections. Because elections in modern democracies are centered on political parties, most electoral research focuses on the interplay between voter preferences and party strategies. This course exposes students to classic and current research on voter behavior and party competition, which is a vital component in an understanding domestic politics across nations.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The course delves into the underlying issue divisions in modern electorates---such as economic inequality, racial justice, and climate change---and some of their consequences, such as the recent rise of environmentalist and populist parties. The course also focuses on electoral institutions, and on some of the ways electoral systems can be manipulated, such as gerrymandering and voter registration laws. For this year of the course, a particular point of emphasis will be on the 2020 national elections in the United States, particularly the race for the presidency.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

Demonstrate understanding of the political divisions and cleavages underlying voter attitudes and candidate/party choices
Elaborate the reasons for the resurgence in populism and its potential consequences
Describe how parties compete spatially for votes
Describe how electoral systems translate votes to seats, and how they may be manipulated to shape electoral outcomes
Describe whether, and how, campaigns matter to voting outcomes

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

Analyze contemporary elections to explain and predict voter behavior given the landscape of the party system
Predict electoral outcomes based on voter demographics, issue priorities and positions, electoral rules, and the configuration of the party system

Teaching methods

Face-to-face lectures
Group assignments

DETAILS

The group exercise will require students to use models of vote choice and party competition, as well as polling data, to produce predictions for the 2020 US presidential election. The students will develop a forecast and present their predictions and arguments supporting their predictions at the end of the course lecture period.

Assessment methods

	Continuous assessment	Partial exams	General exam
Written individual exam (traditional/online)			x
Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)			x

ATTENDING STUDENTS

The group assignment allows the students to demonstrate applied knowledge of concepts and empirical research presented in the course to make electoral predictions.

The final exam tests students on their knowledge of theories and empirical research relating to voter behavior and party competition, as well as their knowledge of contemporary political events.

NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The final exam tests students on their knowledge of theories and empirical research relating to voter behavior and party competition, as well as their knowledge of contemporary political events.

Teaching materials

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

To be defined

Last change 09/09/2020 17:55