Course Details

POSC 204: How American Campaigns and Elections Work (and Don’t Work)

Campaigns and elections are the cornerstones of our democracy. Formally, they are the way we select our elected officials; informally they tell us a lot about the American ethos, the preferences of particular demographics, and the future direction of our country. The course will draw from scholarship in political psychology, political behavior and participation, and public opinion and will examine American campaigns and elections through three lenses: the institutional structures that guide them; the candidates and voters that participate in them; and the political scientists who study them.
6 credits; QRE, SI, IDS, WR2; Not offered 2023-2024