Analysis of Public Opinion

Catalog description

In this course, you will learn how to study public opinion in an empirical manner. This class will challenge you to think about the factors that influence public attitudes on political issues, primarily in the United States. You will learn basic statistical and programming techniques to analyze public opinion data like a professional political scientist. This course consists of three general elements: lectures, where you will learn about prominent research on the factors that influence public opinion; breakout sessions, where you will develop skills necessary to analyze data and construct effective survey instruments with a group of your peers; and class discussions where we will discuss current events related to public opinion in American politics and brainstorm research ideas. Prerequisites: POL/SOC 250, or permission of the instructor. (Offered odd spring)