92592 - POLITICAL BEHAVIOR IN WESTERN DEMOCRACIES

Learning outcomes

The aim of this course it to be able to apply the theoretical and conceptual knowledge to understanding and resolving some key contemporary issues in the behavior of citizens in advanced democracies. At the end of the course, students will be able to provide original answers to questions like: Why do people vote for this party, or that party, or at all? How do people make sense of politics? What is the link between citizens’ actions and beliefs and the democratic vitality of political systems? How is it possible to measure the quality of democracy?

Course contents

The course is taught in English.

The course is divided into two parts. The first part [16 seminars] introduces students to the acquisition of basic conceptual and theoretical tools for the study of public opinion and political behavior in comparative perspective. It will focus in particular on the nature of mass beliefs, values and ideological orientation; the determinants of electoral participation and vote choice; competing theories of political representation; and the role of citizens in the democratic process today. At the end of the first part of the course, there will be a mid-term exam, which will include a blend of multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions.

The second part (14 seminars) is in turn divided into two separate thematic tracks. It is organized in a seminar format and is more specifically aimed at applying and deepening the knowledge acquired during the first part of the course. The division of students between thematic tracks will be coordinated during the first part of the course. The two thematic tracks will deal in turn with: (1) elections as “beauty contests”, and (2) elections as “hate games”. More details about each of these thematic tracks will be provided to students during the first part of the course.

Students’ participation and reading is key to the success of this course. Therefore, they are expected to complete the readings prior to class and to be prepared to discuss their content and develop thematic insights during both parts of the course.

Readings/Bibliography

All students are expected to rely on the following book for the first part of the course:

• Dalton, R. J. (2020). Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies. Los Angeles: Sage, Cq Press.

The readings for the thematic tracks (“Elections as Beauty Contests”, and “Elections as Hate Games”) amount to one article/chapter per seminar. They will be communicated to students in due course.

Teaching methods

The first part of the course will be structured into 15 lectures, each of which dedicated to a specific chapter of Dalton’s manual. After the mid-term exam, the second part of the course will consist in 14 seminars (7 per thematic group) dedicated in turn to the analysis of elections as either “beauty contests” or “hate games”. In this second part, students are expected to actively participate, carrying out class presentations and exercises using materials provided by the instructor.

Assessment methods

The assessment methods vary for attending and non-attending students.

For attending students (i.e., all of those attending at least 75% of the classes), a mid-term exam will be held at the end of the first part of the course. The mid-term written exam will consist of 15 multiple-choice questions (1 point each) and three open-ended questions (max. 5 points each). A minimum score of 15 points is required to pass the mid-term exam, which accounts for 50% of the final grade. The remaining portion of the grade will be assigned based on students’ presentations and active participation in the second part of the course.

For non-attending students, the overall exam will be based on the following texts:

• Dalton, R. J. (2020). Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Industrial Democracies, 7^th Edition. Los Angeles: Sage.
• LeDuc, L.; Niemi, R. G.; Norris, P. (2014). Comparing Democracies 4: Elections and Voting in a Changing World. Los Angeles: Sage.
• All articles/chapters from both thematic tracks: “Elections as Beauty Contests”, and “Elections as Hate Games”.

The written exam for non-attending students will consist of 30 multiple-choice questions (0.5 points each) and five open-ended questions (max. 3 points each).

Teaching tools

Power-point slides, short videos, online participation of external experts.

Office hours

See the website of Diego Garzia