Mass Media and Public Opinion Research
POSC322
The mass media and its impact on the public represents an important sphere through which we can understand our political and social world. Does the media foster political participation or apathy? Does it fuel racism and hate, or empathy and understanding? Do some media sources exhibit bias which influences public opinion? What are the prominent ways in which the media engages in agenda-setting, priming, or the framing of issues? What effect does this have on political behavior? These are the kinds of questions that can be posed and empirically answered in this project-based class. The emphasis of the course will be on understanding the methodological steps and developing the skills involved in doing content analysis and public opinion survey research. Content analysis is a systematic way to code and analyze textual, audible, or visual media. In class we will cover sampling, theme identification, code definition, and the construction of codebooks. To understand public opinion, we will also cover concepts and strategies for developing, implementing, and assessing survey questionnaires. These skills will be put into practice through a group research project.
Elections and the Media
POSC320
Elections have become a global phenomenon and are arguably the most fundamental aspect of democracy. Around the world, more and more people are voting and engaging with election campaigns through the media. This course explores the impact of electoral campaigns, and specifically the role the mass media plays within them, on voters. How do election campaigns unfold through the media? Why do people vote the way they do? How does the media and campaign advertising affect voting behavior? Taking a comparative perspective, examples of elections are drawn from the US, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Besides traditional forms of media, it examines the impact of websites, social networking sites, and political blogs on elections and on efforts to foster democracy. Course readings are supplemented with documentary films and clips of televised campaign advertising.
Introduction to Political and Policy Studies
POSC003
This course is an introduction to political science. It will cover a wide range of issues, including the formation of the nation-state, authoritarianism, democratization, ideology, political culture, institutions, conflict, development, and globalization. In the class we will discuss some of the major debates in politics that are important for policy-making. Why are some countries more democratic than others? Can civil society affect political change? What causes war and how can we prevent it? Why are some countries poor while others are wealthy? Is globalization making the world a wealthier and safer place? Through this course you will learn the main concepts and approaches in political science and apply them to recent events, such as the Arab Spring, the rise of China, the spread of Islamic fundamentalism, and the election of populist leaders like Donald Trump. While the course covers a number of regions, there will be a particular focus on Asia.