Political Research Seminar (395-0-21)

Topic

Political Persuasion

Instructors

Alexander Coppock

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 213: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

Political persuasion occurs when messages change minds about policies or politicians. In this course, we will examine what political science has revealed—through repeated experimentation—about the nature of persuasion in politics. The course assumes no prior knowledge of experimental design or the psychology of attitude change, though students should be prepared to learn about both topics quickly. Coursework will include moderate required reading (typically two research papers or one short book per week), regular exercises related to the readings, and two larger projects.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to read and evaluate experimental research on persuasion and will develop skepticism about overblown claims of persuasion.

Teaching Method

Mix of seminar and lecture

Evaluation Method

Attendance and participation (10%)
Reading questions (30%),
Megastudy project (30%),
Final project (30%).

Class Materials (Required)

Coppock, Alexander. Persuasion in Parallel: How Information Changes Minds about Politics. University of Chicago Press, 2023. ISBN 978-0-226-82184-9.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Political Science students who are Juniors or Seniors