Description and Goals
How much do ordinary citizens know about politics, and does it matter if some people don’t know very much? Why do some people participate a lot in politics, and other people never even bother to vote? Does political participation really matter, and if so, what could be done to encourage more people to participate? Are elections just “beauty contests” between parties and candidates, or do they really mean something? How similar is Americans’ political behavior to that of citizens in other western democracies?
We will discuss these questions throughout the semester, as well as look at how political scientists go about addressing these questions. Students will have the opportunity to read and discuss some original research on these subjects, as well as use some existing social science data to discover relationships on their own. I will also introduce students to the Survey Data Analysis system and use of basic data analysis techniques to learn about political behavior. These techniques will be especially valuable for students who will be writing an empirical Honors Thesis in Political Science or another social science discipline.
Homework
| homework and in-class assignments | periodic | 15% |
| a mid-term exam | TBD | 25% |
| a paper analyzing voter choice | TBD | 25% |
| a final exam | TVD | 35% |
Grading Scale
| A | 91.0 – 100.0 | A- | 89.0 – 90.9 | ||||
| B+ | 87.0 – 88.9 | B | 81.0 – 86.9 | B- | 79.0 – 80.9 | ||
| C+ | 77.0 – 78.9 | C | 71.0 – 76.9 | C- | 69.0 – 70.9 | ||
| D+ | 67.0 – 68.9 | D | 61.0 – 66.9 | D- | 59.0 – 60.9 |
Attendance and Late Policy
Students are expected to complete all requirements (quizzes, exams, presentation) on the specified dates and will not be granted an alternate date unless they have a documented acceptable reason for their absence (e.g., absences due to medical emergency, observance of religious holidays, military obligation) or prearranged consent of the instructor. However, you may receive an extension on an assignment by pre-arranged consent of the instructor or in extraordinary circumstances. These requests must be timely and accompanied by all necessary written documentation.
(https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx)