Summer Quantitative Reasoning Institute - Public Opinion: The Linchpin of Democracy

This course examines public opinion in contemporary American politics. Central to the concept of a representative democracy is the idea that citizens hold elected officials accountable for the policies they enact (or fail to enact). However this vision of democracy assumes the public holds relatively stable and meaningful political attitudes. This course turns our focus to the essential democratic linchpin of public opinion. We will discuss how to conceptualize and measure public opinion, where opinions or attitudes come from and how they are changed, the determinants of vote choice, and the relationship between public opinion and policy outcomes. Research: To better understand public opinion, we will delve into the American National Election Studies, a rich dataset that has measured the ebb and flow of American’s views, attitudes, and beliefs and since the 1950s. Students will work in teams to test an original research hypothesis using ANES data. Possible research questions may explore topics of political knowledge, ideological extremity, affective polarization, racial attitudes, opinions about the environment, or perceptions of political candidates. By the end of the course you will be able to evaluate the role of public opinion in American politics and democracy, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of public polls, understand some of the foundational theories of public opinion formation and change, and produce and analyze basic statistics using raw opinion data.