The American Electorate in the Trump Era

Catalog description

This seminar will introduce students to the data and methods social scientists use to analyze public opinion and voting, with primary emphasis on the 2016-2020-2024 national elections. Students will utilize major databases such as the American National Elections Studies (ANES) and Collaborative Multi-Racial Post-Election Survey (CMPS) which has Whites and oversamples of Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and in 2024, Afro-Caribbean, Muslim, and Jewish voters The object of the seminar is analysis--not ideology, activism or personal catharsis. How did Americans in various social and political categories vote in the Trump elections, and why? What is the relative importance of voter characteristics, policy issues, the records and personal qualities of the candidates, the campaign, social media, the performance of the Obama and Biden Administrations, and myriad other factors? Students will use STATA which is a statistical program free to Brown undergraduates.