POL 295-01 - Special Topic: Public Opinion and Democracy

4 credits (Fall Term 1)

According to democratic theory, Americans’ collective wants and hopes have value and should translate into policy via representative government. But empirical research warns us that the average American is politically unknowledgeable, uninterested, and unsophisticated. Is public opinion meaningful? Should elites heed or discard it? Can the American voter be rehabilitated or is she best relegated to the sidelines? Topics: issue voting, non-attitudes, heuristics, retrospection, framing, partisanship, polarization, social identity, stereotypes, prejudice, emotions, authoritarian disposition, survey method.

Prerequisite: POL 101
Instructor: Virgin