Mar 29, 2024  
2021 - 2022 Academic Catalog 
    
2021 - 2022 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

POL 295-01 - Special Topic: Political Behavior and Public Opinion

4 credits (Spring)
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, media effects, partisanship, polarization, social identity, stereotypes, prejudice, emotions, social capital. 

Prerequisite: POL 101 
Instructor: Virgin