The 2026 US election: How to Understand and Participate

Catalog description

In this class we will read and discuss the literature on voting, voting rights, public opinion polling, and elections. The class will have a field component, as students will not only be obligated to register to vote (if they are eligible), but also make phone calls or canvass in person to talk to citizens about some issue or candidate. Students will have the opportunity to pick any candidate (local, state, or national), any party, and any nonpartisan issue or group (such as ballot measures, the League of Women Voters, the Environmental Defense Fund, the National Rifle Association, nonpartisan voter registration drives, etc.) that they want. Political persuasion only makes sense if the person doing the persuading believes in the candidate or cause.