GOVT 39 Political Psychology
This class examines the psychological origins of citizens’ political beliefs and actions. We analyze different aspects of human psychology, including personality, motivation, values, information processing and emotion. This course is for anyone who has ever wondered how people form their political opinions, why they vote the way they do, and whether ordinary citizens are well suited to democracy. Readings are drawn from the fields of political science and psychology. Students should have taken GOVT 3 (or its equivalent) before taking this class.
GOVT 83.28 Persuasion and the Policy Process
This class examines how people form policy preferences and the process by which those preferences do—or do not—get translated into public policies in the United States. The course will examine three aspects of this process: elite rhetorical strategy, the media routines that generate coverage of policy debates, and mass opinion. We will assess the way political elites, the media mass, and ordinary people interact to create policies that can be either intelligent or pathological. GOVT 3 is a prerequisite for this class. It also is desirable to have already taken GOVT 10 since we will be reading books and articles that contain statistical evidence. This is a seminar and best suited for juniors and seniors.
GOVT 7.14 Does Democracy Work? (First Year Writing Seminar)
Ordinary people are a crucial part of a democracy—in terms of their beliefs and attitudes as well as the political actions they do or do not take. Indeed, some scholars go so far as to describe voters as the starting point of a democracy. But are citizens up to the task? This first-year seminar investigates the topic of voter competence, which refers to the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that support a functioning political system. We will consider what is required of citizens in a modern democracy and discuss the standards by which we evaluate how well people fulfill their democratic duties. Course readings focus on public opinion and political behavior in the American context. As part of the first-year writing program, this course involves analytical writing and small group discussions. Students will write and revise two 3-page papers with significant class time devoted to writing challenges and giving/receiving feedback in peer groups. The seminar also involves a final 6-page paper.
Note: Syllabi are posted to assist students with course selection, but the official version of the syllabus will appear on Canvas during the quarter in which the class is taught.