Course Description
Factors which contribute to electoral choice and the dynamics of voting in the American political system.
Athena Title
RSCH ELECT BEHAV
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This research seminar is intended as a broad survey of the literature on electoral behavior and politics. The central focus of the course will be on congressional elections, but we also will spend some time on the study of presidential elections. As such, we will focus on the behavior of strategic politicians, the origins and growth of the incumbency advantage, the impact of money in elections, the role of the campaign in the election outcome, and various forecasting models of elections. Throughout the course, we will pay attention to current political and scholarly controversies (as well as some “classics”) in terms of identifying important research questions as well as examining and improving upon existing research designs. By the end of the course, you should have a better understanding of the nature of research on electoral behavior, even though it would be impossible to cover all facets of this research in a single graduate seminar.
Topical Outline
The Politics of Congressional Elections Studying Elections across Time Ambition and Electoral Politics Strategic Politicians The Incumbency Advantage in Congress Representation and Congress Congressional Campaign Politics Money and Elections Forecasting Models of Elections Presidential Campaigns Presidential Elections
Syllabus