PLSC 222: Public Opinion and Political Behavior

(1 Unit)
This course explores the formation of public opinion in the United states and the consequences for American Democracy. We will focus on three broad areas. First, we will discuss theories of public opinion and how people form their opinions. Second, we will talk about the impact of public opinion on elites and policymaking. In other words, do elites listen to people? Finally, we will examine current public opinion on selected issues that point to an increasing polarization in American politics and discuss its consequences for American democracy. We will also learn about survey methodology and analysis to better understand how data is collected and what the data means. Schnabel